A Moment of Interest
by Sol Hiryu
Summary: What began as a simple inspection of Crimea turned into something Zelgius couldn't even begin to put into words. Partial AU, Zelgius/Ike, yaoi, smut.
1. I

**A/N:** Before we begin, I'd like to note that I was actually debating on whether to post this here or not. It was already on my LJ, but I figured not enough people check there when they're looking for FE fics, so I eventually caved in and decided to post it here. Now only if it will stay up.

This fic is fairly AU. I tried my best to keep it as close to canon as possible, but I had to diverge slightly from the actual game script as I was writing it. While it wasn't my intention, it eventually happened that way. Because Zelgius has nearly no characterization in both games, it was fairly hard to write him while sticking solely to the script, so I had to give in and slap AU on it.

Speaking of which, he's a fun character to write. He strikes me more of a soldier with repressed doubts and emotions, and I tried my best to make him seem that way. His interactions with Ike were also fairly hard to write, especially coming from Zelgius's point of view.

In the end, what started as a short, smutty one-shot evolved into this monster of a fic. In case you didn't read the summary, this fic is **Zelgius/Ike** and **Ike/Zelgius** centric with smut. By all means, if you enjoy such a pairing, please continue on. I do hope that you'll enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

* * *

The first time it happened, he had been on official business for the Apostle. While it was quite unprecedented to send the general of Begnion's Central Army to a smaller kingdom for diplomatic efforts, Sanaki had entrusted him with another task as well. He was to go and retrieve Ragnell from General Ike, seeing as it was one of national treasures of the nation. She had wondered how it even got into Ike's possession in the first place, something that Zelgius kept his lips tightly shut about. Naturally, the Senate had protested, seeing the odd course of action as an excuse not to trust them. Zelgius couldn't really blame the Apostle for _that_, seeing as he wanted to manhandle most of the arrogant fools even on the best of days.

Luckily, his master had stepped in and placated them, mentioning that not many people could lift something as immense as the holy blade, much less conceal it without attracting notice. They reluctantly agreed, and three days later, Zelgius found himself traveling with a light entourage to the rebuilding nation of Crimea. When he had arrived nearly a week after that, there had been a modest welcoming ceremony for him, made up of several of the Royal Knights and most, if not all, of the remaining Begnion forces in Melior.

The actual diplomacy had gone off rather smoothly, for the most part. Allocation of troops, payments to parts of the army, even foreign policy had been settled rather quickly, mostly because neither Zelgius nor Elincia wanted the proceedings to drag on too long. Besides, if the general had to hear the loquacious tongue of that man who looked like a jester for one more minute...

Shaking off his annoyance, Zelgius remembered the other task he had been asked of, and went to find the Crimean general. Despite himself, he wondered if the boy had grown more in his absence. Even if Ike had not been at the level he had wished for, he managed to defeat him even as he was holding back. He didn't actually expect to be as injured as he was back in Nados Castle, and the thought of Gawain's son getting stronger sent excitement running through him. Soon, he'd be able to face the skills of his teacher in his prime, and all Ike needed was a few more years to grow into it.

Putting his thoughts aside, the man found Ike at the training grounds of the knights, overseeing the trainees. There was an oddly pensive look on his face, Zelgius noted, and he seemed somewhat distracted. "It's unlike a nation's general to be left out of a diplomacy meeting." he said as he walked up to the blue haired teen, watching as Ike blinked and turned to face him.

"General Zelgius..." Ike muttered, shaking his head. "Mm. I didn't think you would be the one to come here."

"Call it a personal favor for the Apostle;" Zelgius responded, standing in front of Ike and looking at him. "I'm here for several reasons, actually...one of which involves you."

If Ike was surprised by his statement, he didn't react to it. "Me? What does Sanaki want with me?" he asked bluntly, and Zelgius had to suppress a slight chuckle.

"That's Apostle Sanaki, Ike," he lightly rebuked. "It concerns Ragnell."

_Now_ did Ike look surprised. "Huh? What about it?" he asked dumbly, his attention now completely on him.

Zelgius sighed and shook his head. "You know that Ragnell is one of the two weapons the first Empress of Begnion used, right? Ragnell and Alondite are considered the national treasures of Begnion, and leaving one of them in your hands is, well..."

"Let me guess, those crazy senators would have a fit if they didn't get it back, huh?" Ike cut in, crossing his arms. He watched as Zelgius hesitated and nod slowly, leaving him to sigh heavily. "I guess I should be thankful that none of the nobles over here are half as mad as yours. Although..."

"You know that speaking ill of the senate in a position such as yours is bound to create problems," Zelgius stated with an eyebrow raised.

Ike turned back to give him a curious stare. "Would you tell them all about our exact conversation?" he asked with some humor.

The Begnion general shrugged. "No, not really," he said honestly. Even though he was the general, Zelgius had far better things to do than indulge in the whims of the senate. Besides, they would never know if someone were speaking bad of them so far away.

The younger man couldn't help but crack a small smile. "Then I guess you'll just have to hear my complaints now, won't you?"

Rolling his eyes, Zelgius decided to get back to the point. "Anyway, as you guessed, I've come back for Ragnell. And do realize that I can't take no for an answer."

Ike twisted his lips, settling into a frown. "Well, San...I mean, _Apostle_ Sanaki has been pretty generous for letting me have it for this long..." he muttered to himself. "Fine. I'll give it to you later."

This time, Zelgius couldn't help but be curious. "You're giving it up rather easily, I have to admit," he said in some surprise. While he'd rather have the boy keep it, present circumstances deemed it impossible.

Ike shrugged. "I dunno. I just...don't feel right using it, especially after fighting _him_," he said with an obvious edge to his voice, eyes slightly narrowing at the memory. "There's almost no reason to have it now, honestly."

The Begnion general noticed the lack of venom in Ike's words, but said nothing of it. "In any case, I'll take it back when I leave in a few days time. That should give you sufficient preparation."

"Mm..." Ike said with a nod, still frowning. "Maybe you'll have to come by later that day. The nobles want to have another meeting with her majesty."

From the obvious noise of disgust in Ike's voice, Zelgius could tell that Ike wasn't looking forward to it. "Is that why you weren't there earlier?" he asked, suddenly getting it.

"It's almost like they want to call her an incompetent queen," Ike suddenly spat, staring heatedly into Zelgius's eyes. "Every time I'm in the same room with her, those nobles keep whispering about her. Calling her all sorts of things...just because I'm the general. This is from her own people!"

Zelgius crossed his arms. "And because of that, you fear that no one will take her seriously if you're present at the same time?"

Again, Ike shrugged. "We could have handled it if it was just that, but there are also some arrogant, hotheaded knights from noble families trying to take my position. Claiming that Crimea can't be represented by a sellsword...what madness." Ike snorted, sneering at the thought of the nobles in the court.

Seeing the younger general's displeasure, a small smile crept up on Zelgius' face. This was quite the opportunity to see how much Ike had progressed. "You certainly look stressed about it," he began smoothly, careful not to let anything else show on his face. "Is it really that bad?"

Ike ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Yes," he said plainly, turning away to see the knights sparring on the field. "It's never a moment's peace. If it isn't restructuring the army, it's another meeting with the nobles. And if isn't that, it's enduring their constant prattle. It's really getting on my nerves."

"To be honest, I know that feeling too well," Zelgius responded, turning his head to follow Ike's line of sight. "Have you been able to do anything?"

"Hm? What about?"

"Your stress," Zelgius clarified. "It's not good for a general to look like he's about to explode at the next person who talks to him."

Ike remained silent for a few moments, shaking his head. "I've sparred with my mercenaries when I can, but even now that's becoming a rarity," he finally said, looking down. "Even though they were my companions during the war, their presence would create conflict in the court." He paused to snort bitterly, gritting his teeth. "They stay near the outskirts of Melior, and it's all I can do just to see them every so often."

"Ah, so you're feeling restricted by your position now. I guess that's normal enough," Zelgius muttered as Ike turned to look at him. "Hm...well, seeing as I am here for a few days and all...perhaps we can spar together? I'll admit that I was rather disappointed that we didn't get the chance to earlier."

Ike was surprised. "Really?" he asked quickly, blinking rapidly. "Why would you want to?" he asked lowly, a curious gaze in his eyes.

Shrugging, Zelgius turned away. "Because I know the feeling of wanting to hit something after dealing with men with superiority issues," he said simply, beginning to walk away. "I'll be back here within a mark. I trust you will do the same, General?"

Zelgius didn't even need to turn back to see the relieved smile on Ike's face. _Perfect_.

* * *

If he was being perfectly honest, Zelgius could say that he was surprised in how much Ike's skills had improved in half a year. Despite being cooped up in Melior, it seemed that he still trained diligently...perhaps because it was the only thing to keep him calm.

Even still, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle, despite only using a basic lance. While he really wanted to use a sword, he wanted to err on the side of caution today. Even as experienced as he was, there was always the chance that he'd unconsciously use some of Gawain's style, which Ike would immediately pick up on. No, he couldn't have that, especially not after Ike had surprised him in Nados.

"You're just as skilled as everyone says," Zelgius commented, smiling slightly. "I haven't had a spar like this in a while."

Ike grinned back. "And no wonder you're a general. You're really powerful," he remarked with a wince, rotating his left arm where Zelgius had gotten in a blow. While it was just now starting to ache, Ike could swear he just got hit by one of the tiger laguz. Maybe that's why everybody feared the strength of Begnion's general.

"Perhaps, although I'm afraid to say that I'm not as good with a spear as I am with a sword," he admitted. While that technically wasn't true, he wasn't quite as adept with fighting against Gawain's style with a different weapon. Luckily for him, Ike still needed some improvement, and he had been able to fight without any problems.

If Ike was curious about why Zelgius didn't fight with a sword in the first place, he didn't ask. "I say you're mad. Your skills are really honed..." Ike retorted. "I'd like to fight you seriously someday."

_You already have,_ was the sudden thought, and Zelgius bit his tongue to keep himself from saying it. "Mm, you probably shouldn't speak that way. No one likes crossing swords with me," Zelgius said casually, lowering his spear. "In any case, let us call it a draw right here. I'm sure you have other duties to attend to without me bothering you."

A sour look crossed Ike's face for a moment before it settled into an annoyed one. "It's not really a bother at all, Zelgius," he said with a smile, but the Begnion general could see it was rather tense. "But yeah, I should go take care of whatever I have left to do before it gets late, huh?"

Zelgius nodded as Ike lowered his own sword, starting to make his way off the grounds and back into the castle. Before he was out of sight, however, he turned back with a smile on his face. "Thanks, Zelgius." he said before walking out of the grounds.

The man watched him go, drawing his lips into a tight frown. Ike was certainly getting stronger, but he still wasn't there. Not at the level he needed nor wanted him at. _This just complicates things. How long will it be until I will be able to get what I want?_ he thought in disgust. _No matter, I still have time. I pray that it is enough._

_I will fight Gawain again!_

* * *

Determined to try and get Ike to where he wanted him to be at before he left, he told the ambassador that was sent along with him to take care of the finer details of their visit while he went and observed the Crimean army. No one dared to ask him why; when the general ordered something to be done, it was done—no questions asked.

The Crimean army, still in the stages of restructuring, was rather small. There had apparently been problems earlier about getting people to enlist after the war, but the gossip about the hero Ike leading the army was enticing many men into refilling the ranks. Zelgius had to shake his head at that, knowing the exact thought that went through their heads. _If they worked hard enough, they'd eventually become someone like the great Lord Ike. As if that would ever happen,_ he thought to himself.

The worst part about that thought was that he had been like that once.

Putting his thoughts aside, he found Ike next to a cyan-haired man not that much older than him, the head of the Royal Knights...Geoffrey, if he remembered correctly. It seemed that the two were supervising the training of new army, barking orders and making sure the knights knew their formations.

"...so, how do you think they did about-" he heard Geoffrey begin to ask, only to be cut off by Ike's exasperated stare.

"Geoffrey, I've told you this many times before. You're the one who knows this stuff far better than I do. I'm not a knight!" Ike sighed out in exasperation, and Zelgius heard Geoffrey laugh.

"Always blunt, aren't you?" he retorted with a chuckle. "Anyway, I just wanted your opinion."

"And my opinion is that you can do whatever you feel is best, seeing as you know what you're doing."

"Oh, don't be that way. I'm actually pretty happy with what you've suggested that last few times," Geoffrey complimented, and Ike rolled his eyes.

"What, how I told them not to be so uptight?" he scoffed. "I thought that was common sense."

Geoffrey smiled. "Coming from you, the hero of Crimea, they'd follow it to the letter."

"Ugh..."

"It's not everyday that someone gets to talk with a living legend, so to speak;" Zelgius finally said, getting the attention of the two warriors. "You should be at least content that they're following your orders."

Ike blinked then slowly nodded. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Still, what do I know of knight formations and procedures? It's better left to those that know what they're talking about, I think."

Geoffrey looked like he wanted to say something, but Zelgius cut him off. "He has the right idea. You know the nuances that are associated with being a knight of Crimea, and he does not. As that is the case, he chooses to defer to your judgment."

"...I suppose you're right," Geoffrey acknowledged after a moment of silence. "Very well. I'll go and start their training for the day. Sir Ike, would you-"

"Actually, I'd like to have a word with General Ike, if I'd may. I have some things I'd like to discuss with him," Zelgius interrupted, giving a brief nod to the confused boy. "My apologies, we might have to leave everything to you today."

The paladin nodded, giving a small smile to Ike. "Don't worry, I have today covered. Go and talk with General Zelgius." Before Ike could say anything, Geoffrey walked off towards the trainees, barking another order at two that were goofing off.

Sighing, Ike turned towards Zelgius, looking oddly relieved. "I wonder if I should be thanking you or be annoyed with you."

"You can choose both, if you wish," Zelgius said lightly, causing Ike to groan.

"Never mind," he sighed again, shaking his head. "So, what did you want to talk with me about? Is it about Ragnell?"

Zelgius turned away, motioning Ike to follow him. "No, not today. There's something else I want to speak with you about. It concerns..." He left the last word hanging, slowly looking back towards the knights.

"My leadership, huh?" Ike finished, not missing a beat as he fell into step beside him. "Well, can't say I blame you."

Once Zelgius felt they were a sufficient distance away, he stopped and turned to look Ike in the eyes. "It's not so much that as it is seeing you beginning to chafe in your position," he said bluntly, making Ike pause. "You're so young and yet you've been given such a high post...I can't even imagine how you're feeling right now."

Ike looked away, and to Zelgius, it seemed like he was seething in anger. "It's that obvious, huh?" he asked lowly, not meeting his eyes.

Zelgius sighed. How was he going to phrase this? "Not to anyone who doesn't know better. I've just held my post long enough to know what to look for," he said slowly, waiting to see if there was any reaction from the younger man.

Ike chuckled. "Soren says I'm an easy read to him, but I didn't think I was that open," he sighed. "I just...I really don't know what to do. I was raised to become a mercenary, not a general! Soren and Titania try to help when they can, but everything falls on me in the end. Not to mention anything I do is met with opposition!" he ranted, glaring angrily at the ground. "Have court politics always been like this?"

"Yes, they have;" Zelgius answered, nodding solemnly. "But to this extent, however...it's rather unheard of."

"Just because both Elincia and I refused to occupy Daein..." Ike muttered before silencing. "Oh...you've probably already heard of that."

Zelgius nodded, but not for the reason Ike had given. _So, it's begun then,_ he thought, frowning. His master had been carefully meticulous in his plans for the next few years. He knew Crimea did not have the resources to keep a presence in Daein, so he skillfully manipulated certain members of the senate to take charge of the garrison. With _that_ person in charge of the occupation, it wouldn't be long until there was an uprising in Daein, and then...

"So that's why they oppose you?" he asked, veering his thoughts away from that topic. It would be best for him to focus on the current situation.

"It's stupid, isn't it? Do they even know how many troops we would need just to keep that nation occupied? Too many that we don't even have!" Ike spat. "I just don't get nobles. Why are they so interested in power?"

To normal people, it was a normal question, but for Zelgius, it brought back memories.

_"Why are you so interested in power, boy?"_

_"...to become strong, like you."_

_"Not the correct answer...but you're learning."_

"Zelgius?"

Blinking, the man shook himself out of his thoughts. "Sorry, I was just remembering something," he muttered, grimacing. "In any case...I suppose that those that have power will yearn for more. That's how it's always been."

"It's pretty pathetic, if you ask me," Ike retorted. "I mean...aren't they thankful that they have their own country back, at the very least?"

"Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like you do," Zelgius sighed. "Plainly put, they either are out for revenge or want to expand their own power."

"Madness," Ike muttered. "I can't believe them."

"To be quite honest, I too am appalled at my own country's senators at times," Zelgius replied.

Looking back towards the knights, Ike saw Geoffrey getting everyone into formation with practiced ease, pulling out those that were disobeying orders. Ike sighed deeply; the paladin obviously knew what to do and how to do it, and the only reason anyone followed his own orders was because he was their hero. "Well, I'm just tired of them in any case."

Zelgius frowned. "Which brings me to what I really want," he said smoothly. "Ike, let us spar once again. You look like you need something to hit."

Ike blinked in surprise. "Again?" he asked in disbelief. "You're being rather persistent, General. Why?" Pausing a bit in thought, he added one more question, a bit more lowly and suspicious. "For that matter, why are you offering to help me in the first place?"

Once again, Zelgius had to stop and actually think _why_ he was helping Ike. _It's because he's the final challenge in proving that I'm more powerful than my teacher. I'm just helping him along until he reaches that point,_ he thought, but suddenly hesitated. _But..._

"I just know the feeling of needing to hit something after dealing with...unpleasantness," he finally said, shrugging lightly. "Besides, I haven't had a skillful sparring partner in ages. I'm sure Queen Elincia wouldn't begrudge you taking a day or so off for your own affairs, right?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." Ike said before grinning. "Lead the way, General."

With a nod, both of them made their way back towards the training grounds they used earlier, but Ike had one more comment for the general.

"You're a lot easier to talk to than I thought," he muttered. "It's kind of sad that you're leaving in a few days."

Zelgius felt a pang in his chest at that, but did not know why.

* * *

The second sparring session was a lot more exciting than the first one, Zelgius found. Ike seemed to have gotten more comfortable with being his sparring partner, and his movements weren't as hesitant or jerky as they were the previous day. This time, he actually found himself on the defensive more, since Ike refused to let up—even for a moment.

"Good, good..." he muttered. "If you straighten your stance a bit, you'll have a bit more power. Exaggerating your movements will get you hurt, however," he chastised as he swung his lance, scoring a glancing blow to Ike's arm. "Like so!"

Ike nodded as he felt the hit, but only responded by swinging his sword when Zelgius's lance was occupied, returning the strike. Zelgius grunted, but smiled nonetheless. "I was right in my assumption about you. Truly skilled," he praised, pushing his darker thoughts about his opponent out of his mind. Ike was not ready, he still needed time to grow and get stronger, and only then would he finally have the challenge he craved for.

It was only when he learned that Gawain had crippled himself did the lack of satisfaction from defeating him finally make sense. It was insulting, _appalling_ to think that the man he once so admired had been but a husk of his former self, and the skills he honed for so long were wasted. That was why his son would have to take his place, to grow into the warrior he had once been. Only then would he be vindicated.

And it was why he was guiding him right now. If he could set him on that path, then he knew he would be ready.

Ike's expression didn't change, only looking at Zelgius coolly. "I still have room to improve, as you've shown me," he said plainly, getting back into a ready stance. "I haven't fought like this in a while...at your ready, General."

"That makes two of us then. Come!" Zelgius shouted, and Ike charged him once more. Even though Zelgius knew this was only a warm-up for things to come, he couldn't help but think that this was right, in a way.

_Merely a prelude for things to come, nothing more,_ he thought before their weapons clashed again.

* * *

The second day had ended on a rather good note for him. He had gotten a better measure on how Ike's skills had progressed, and he wasn't disappointed. The boy already realized that he wasn't as good as his father, and worked tirelessly to reach that point. He was surprised that Ike's prowess hadn't gone to his head, especially considering his age. When he had brought that point up earlier, Ike just gave a tired shrug.

"I'm proud of my skills, but I haven't trained this hard for my own sake," he answered. "Why would I think I'm better than anyone? You've seen how badly I'm doing in this position."

"Looks like you're putting yourself down more than letting it get to your head," Zelgius commented thoughtfully, and got no more response from Ike.

He did not have to leave for another two days, as business was going on as well as it could. Unfortunately, the better part of tomorrow would actually be devoted to making sure the Begnion soldiers were doing their jobs. Despite his identity and what he knew was going to happen eventually, Master Sephiran would be very displeased if he found out Zelgius was shirking his duties. If nothing else, he was diligent in whatever he was doing.

The following day had him inspecting the Begnion soldiers helping out in the reconstruction. Even though half a year had passed, the capital of Melior was still recovering from the extensive damage it took during Daein's occupation. While it was beginning to heal and be rebuilt, it would undoubtedly take a lot more time for it to return to its former glory.

He recognized some of the troops that were stationed in the city. Some he served alongside, some he personally commanded. While most of them were amicable and were taking their duties in stride, there were a few that were resentful of their position. He had the pleasure of reprimanding them in front of their fellow soldiers, threatening them with a demotion if they continued their current attitude. All in all, it had been a fairly routine inspection.

However, when he returned to the castle in the late afternoon, the air felt rather tense. He couldn't begin to guess why, but the soldiers were obviously very nervous about something. It wasn't a scene he was unaccustomed with, considering the senators' erratic mood swings, but obviously something had happened that had people avoiding...something.

That something turned out to be the one he was looking for, walking briskly in the corridors.

Zelgius stopped and stared at Ike. From the way he clenched his jaw and he glared angrily at nothing, something highly unpleasant had happened. He didn't know what, but Ike was _pissed_, and the first thing anyone said to him would earn the speaker his ire. At least this explained the soldiers' nerves; the last thing they wanted was to deal with Ike's wrath.

Zelgius, however, knew what to do, having been in this situation before.

"Training field, now," he ordered sharply, and Ike simply whirled around and stormed off in that direction, the Begnion general following. Ike definitely needed to work some anger off, and it would give Zelgius more insight onto how to best get the boy going.

However, not even he could have expected what would happen.

* * *

Ike had certainly been angry, far more so than Zelgius thought. Several months of bottled-up emotions came to the forefront as they clashed, and he was surprised to see that the boy was hitting him with such power. He would have been staggering had he not been who he was, and managed to hold Ike off with his spear.

If anything, the anger served only to intensify Ike's focus, as he was striking at Zelgius's defenses with incredible precision. The general actually found himself hard-pressed to throw Ike off without showing his real skill. He grimaced as a slash made its way past his defenses, hitting his side. It didn't do any damage, but the fact that Ike was determined to take his anger out on him...

"Calm down!" he said sharply, hitting Ike with the other end of his spear and making him stumble. The young general didn't hesitate in counterattacking, causing Zelgius to scowl. Something must have set him off, because he had never seen the boy this mad—not since that night in the clearing.

Another strike came, and Zelgius parried it skillfully, redirecting the sword and making another jab with his spear. "_Calm down!_" he nearly yelled. Even if Ike was attacking him fiercely, he wasn't thinking clearly. Growling, he followed up by making a wide slash, one that made Ike jump back.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Ike snarled, finally speaking for the first time. "You have no idea what's going on!"

Another strike, only to be parried again. Zelgius grimaced as he pushed Ike off him again, glaring angrily at the boy. "And I can't know unless you calm the hell down and tell me!" he snarled back.

Ike chose not to respond, only grunting and swinging his blade again. Zelgius actually felt irked that Ike was ignoring him in favor of attacking him. _He's either mad at the nobles or mad at me. Or maybe both,_ he thought as he backed away, getting some room. "I'm not going to say it again, Ike." he muttered dangerously.

"Shove it," Ike growled back before leaping at him again, brandishing his blade.

_Make that a lot of anger to work off,_ Zelgius thought dryly before their weapons clashed once more.

They continued to spar, unaware of their surroundings starting to darken. Night was beginning to fall, and most of the knights had already retired to their quarters. However, the two of them continued to fight, only able to concentrate on the other.

Ike's anger seemed to taper off with each passing second, only to be replaced with a look that Zelgius couldn't quite make out in the dark. Regardless, they still clashed, and Zelgius couldn't remember the last time he had sparred for so long. It was obvious that Ike was beginning to tire, but he wouldn't quit. The Begnion general paid it no mind, as he was too busy enjoying the fight while it lasted.

But all too soon, it ended, and in a way he hadn't anticipated. As soon as Zelgius caught Ike off guard and disarmed him, the end of his spear broke, leaving it nothing more than a useless rod of metal. Dropping it, he pinned Ike against the wall, blue eyes glaring defiantly up into his. He vaguely heard Ike's heavy breathing in unison with his own, finally feeling the exertion of the last few marks.

"Are you calm yet?" he asked lowly, coming out more huskily than he realized. It was a stupid question to be sure, because Ike certainly wasn't looking or acting angry, but...

Ike swallowed and nodded, still staring into Zelgius's eyes. "Yeah. I am," he said quietly, shifting a little.

The next few moments felt like a blur to the Begnion general, but all Zelgius knew was that Ike was on him, he was kissing him, and their bodies were pressed up against each other. Zelgius felt himself kissing back just as he realized that somehow, something had happened, but he didn't seem to care as he felt Ike's breath on his skin, their tongues already pressing, dueling for dominance. With his free hand, he pinned Ike's hands to the wall, and Ike didn't resist, instead seeming to lean into Zelgius's touch, kissing back sloppily as he felt his his body heat up.

Zelgius knew that he couldn't do this, he _shouldn't_ do this, but he craved it. The darker side of him, the one that others knew only as the Black Knight, was reveling in this new twist of events. "Are...are you certain about this, Ike?" he finally asked as he broke off, staring down at the younger man. Ike certainly looked breathless and willing and _wanting_...

"Yes," Ike replied instantly, somewhat dazed.

That was all Zelgius needed as he nodded as well. "Where...?"

"My quarters. Follow me from a distance," Ike responded lowly, sliding out of Zelgius's grasp and slowly making his way towards the castle. Zelgius followed obediently, careful to keep out of sight.

* * *

When he looked back on it, Zelgius had no idea on how they managed to get to Ike's quarters, but he supposed that the castle servants were tending to the Begnion dignitaries. Ike's earlier foul mood probably helped as well, scaring pretty much everyone away from his room. Once they stumbled inside, however, the first thing he felt was Ike's lips clumsily kissing against his, him returning it, and their fevered hands struggling to remove their armor and clothing.

Somehow, they managed to get the armor off, placing them off to the side so no one would hear anything. Clothes followed, and before he knew it, Ike was stepping out of his pants while divesting him of his. And the next thing he knew, they were already upon the bed, lips locked, hands groping, their bodies just grinding against each other...

Everything about it was wrong, Zelgius distantly thought as his tongue delved lower, flicking it against one of Ike's nipples and smirking when he heard Ike groan in satisfaction. This was his enemy. This was the man who was going to be his final obstacle towards his goal. This was Gawain's son...

_"You won't lay a finger on him! You won't touch my son!"_ he heard his teacher's voice echo in his ears, just as Ike chose that moment to grind against his arousal, causing him to pause and shudder.

_How ironic...you said I wouldn't touch him?_ he thought in amusement, returning to his work on the younger man's chest. As Ike moaned and moved underneath him, he had to keep from chuckling. _I'm going to be his first, Gawain._

Soon enough, they tired of the endless groping of their hands and movements of their bodies, seeking something more. Zelgius sat up, taking a moment to regain his breath and his bearings. Part of him was disgusted at himself for allowing this to happen, wanting him to stop and just leave. However, he knew that he had gone too far already, and he might as well go all the way. As Ike stared back up at him, breathing shallow, he gulped. "If we're going to continue, do you have something I can use...?" he asked, coming out as a mere whisper.

Ike looked confused for a second before hurriedly nodding, pointing to a flask of oil on the stand next to the bed. Zelgius reached over and took it, uncorking it and pouring a liberal amount of it into his hands. It was lightly fragranced, and Ike must have sensed his amusement because he blushed. "Elincia gave it to me to help with my hands after training," he muttered.

Slicking his fingers, Zelgius chuckled. "Too bad she never imagined it would be for this purpose," he remarked to himself, trailing a hand down the back of Ike's leg. Lifting a little bit, he circled the younger man's entrance with his finger, watching Ike's face as he gasped and shuddered. "Relax yourself," he muttered before sliding his finger in, hearing Ike's audible gasp as he flinched. He watched and felt Ike squirm around the intruding digit, using his other hand to lightly rub parts of the younger man's body, muttering assurances that things would be alright.

A second finger joined the first after Ike felt more comfortable, and Ike moaned at the sensation. He felt himself being stretched, feeling Zelgius lean down to kiss him and lap at his neck again, and after what seemed like several minutes, he felt them withdraw, making him sigh heavily. He then felt Zelgius move in between his legs, his hand stroking himself with the oil. Ike gulped, knowing exactly what was going to happen next, but remembered the older man's words and tried to relax himself the best he could.

Another glance at Ike's face told Zelgius that the younger general was ready as he grabbed his hips, teasing his entrance with the head of his arousal. Without another spoken word, he slowly started to ease himself into Ike, gritting his teeth as he felt himself push past that ring of muscle. The contorted expression on Ike's face told him everything he need to know as he stopped, just holding him in the same position.

_Pain_ couldn't even begin to describe the agony Ike currently felt. Not even the wounds he received fighting the Mad King could compare to this. Shutting his eyes, he tried to will away the pain, telling himself it would subside. Thankfully, after several minutes and Zelgius's hand stroking his own erection, he felt the pain gradually lessen as he shifted himself.

Once Zelgius knew that Ike was ready, he began to move in him, starting slowly but picking up speed as the minutes wore on. It wouldn't do if someone heard them and decided to snoop. Neither of them could afford such a thing happening. He heard Ike's low groan and another gasp from him as Zelgius hit something inside him, and the older man knew that was the exact spot to keep hitting to make it more pleasurable for the both of them.

Ike grunted as he felt Zelgius's thrusts become faster, white spots dancing in front of his eyes. The Begnion general had hit something in him that caused his whole body to jerk and writhe in pleasure, and he wanted _more_. He started to thrust himself down onto Zelgius, moaning softly as everything started to feel hot and _good_.

It was when Zelgius started to thrust in hard that Ike knew they couldn't keep on like this. Someone would eventually start looking for them, and suspicions would be raised if both the Crimean and Begnion generals were nowhere to be found. Zelgius's thrusts began to be more fevered, totally burying himself into the younger man as Ike panted, thrusting back just as hard. It was hard to think straight with everything going on, feeling so _full_ with Zelgius inside him, and it was all he could do just to keep silent.

By now, Zelgius knew he had given into the heat of the moment. He was thrusting into Ike without abandon now, the friction down there making him shudder—and he _liked it_, the way the muscles around his cock were squeezing him, teasing him mercilessly. He was pounding into him, grasping the younger man's hips and thrusting them down onto him, although Ike was certainly helping with his own movements. He couldn't seem to think straight with everything going on, his breathing becoming heavy.

And just as quick as they started, it had to end. Zelgius felt Ike tense around him before he felt warm liquid splash between their bodies, and then everything clenched down on him in that moment. He bit back a moan as he spilled himself inside Ike, the Crimean general groaning again as he felt it spray against his insides. He stayed like that for a few minutes, just reveling in the afterglow before the full implications of the situation had hit him.

He had literally went to bed with his enemy.

The shock of that was enough to break him out of whatever fog his mind was in, pulling out of Ike and immediately stepping off the bed, rooting around for his pants. He cursed himself for letting himself go this far, but now there was nothing he could do about it. Ike watched him with half-lidded eyes as he pulled on his shirt and pants, careful to not expose his bare back to him. He didn't need even _more_ questions on top of what they just did, but thankfully, Ike seemed too out of it to notice.

"I need to leave," he sputtered quickly, refastening his armor. "If I'm caught around here any longer, someone will...they'd catch on," he muttered, scowling at how he couldn't seem to organize his thoughts. "It'd be best if we didn't see each other tomorrow."

If there was one thing Zelgius had to give to Ike, it was his ability to take blunt statements in stride. "Yeah..." he trailed off, looking over in the corner. "Take Ragnell with you now, while you're at it. It'll give you an excuse if anyone catches you."

Zelgius nodded, not knowing why he didn't think of it earlier. "My thanks, General Ike," he said as he took the sacred blade into his hands. Before he left, however, he stared right at Ike, who seemed to be looking back with an unreadable expression on his face. "...and while I'm at it, I'm sorry."

"Don't," Ike started, looking away. Zelgius couldn't tell if he was regretful or not. "I wanted it just as bad. Now get going before anyone sees you."

Zelgius nodded before leaving in a hurry, gripping the golden blade tightly in his hands. While he regretted what just happened, the darker part of him surfaced once again, whispering into his ear.

_You enjoyed your power over him, didn't you? How he seemed to writhe beneath you...didn't that turn you on? You loved every single moment of it. And the thrill of wondering when he'll realize that you were his father's killer makes it even better, wouldn't you say?_

Shuddering, the Begnion general pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he made his way down to the guest quarters, intent on forgetting the whole thing ever happened.

The next day, he completed his inspection of the forces and promptly left the capital, finally heading back towards Begnion.

Ike didn't see him off, much to his relief.


	2. II

The second time it happened, Zelgius had been asked to do a formal inspection of the Crimean army. The Apostle wanted to know if it was possible to start lessening their presence in Crimea, much to the senate's expected objections. Once again, his master stepped in, and together with the Apostle they managed to silence most of the senators' protests.

However, he still wondered why he, a general under Duke Persis's command, was chosen out of the many diplomats they had, including Master Sephiran himself. When he inquired about it, Sephiran only gave him a calm smile.

"Because you're the only one we can count on giving an accurate and unbiased report, General," he said, getting a nod from Sanaki.

Zelgius knew there was a lot more to it than that, but only nodded. He was in no position to question the request, despite the circumstances. If his master told him to go there, he would do so with no objections.

So as he finished his preparations and set out towards Melior, he couldn't help but think of the altercation he had found himself in with Ike. There had been no romantic feelings or anything like that, but pure physical attraction—that was it. That was what he told himself, and thinking back on that moment made it easier to deal with.

It was funny how nearly a year could change his perspective on things.

* * *

Melior was looking a lot better than the last time he was there. Most of the places that had been damaged previously were completely fixed up, leaving no sign of earlier destruction. The citizens seemed to be of good cheer, and it didn't feel quite as subdued as it was before.

The meeting with Queen Elincia, however, had been rather telling of how court politics were going. She certainly looked more regal and composed than she had a year ago, but for a brief moment, he thought he could see a look of inexplicable sadness on her face, one that was gone just as quickly as he saw it.

While he wanted to get started right away—the less time he spent in Melior, the better—the queen had informed him that some parts of the cavalry were out training, and the next day would be a better day for a full assessment. Hiding his disappointment, he allowed the queen's servants to show him his quarters for his stay, following them through the corridors.

However, he couldn't help but feel anxious being cooped up in such a room, the solitude of it leaving his thoughts to wander dangerously. Deciding that he really needed to get out, he left the dignitaries that came with him behind and walked back out to the training fields, taking in the fresh air. It felt like he was here just yesterday, despite knowing that he hadn't been here for quite a while. It seemed nothing had changed, apart from a few new buildings here and there, and training dummies scattered all over, but other than that...

"Ha!"

A sudden cry shook him out of his reverie, causing him to look over into the distance. It had sounded familiar, but at the same time, it was somewhat different. "Is that...?" he muttered, already walking that way before he could stop himself. The sound of a sword hitting something was heard in the air, and Zelgius knew who it was before he even got there. He should have just turned around and left right then and there, but he just couldn't. He had to see for his own eyes.

He stopped a ways away from the blue-haired figure as the man stopped, holding his blade in an all too familiar position before lowering it, breathing heavily. The man then turned around, pausing to blink in surprise when he saw who was watching him.

"General Zelgius," he greeted, nodding at him.

Zelgius didn't say anything for a moment, just looking at the man who was before him. He had grown so much in merely a year...he had gotten taller and muscles covered his frame, and his face looked a lot older than he remembered, still looking like him but also looking like-

"General Ike," Zelgius greeted back, returning the nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you once more."

Because although Zelgius knew that it was Ike staring at him, he couldn't help but see a little bit of Gawain in him.

_Perfect._

"The same to you, Zelgius," Ike responded, and the Begnion general could see that the man was keeping a carefully neutral expression on his face. It seemed that he hadn't totally forgotten about the last time either. "What brings you here this time? More diplomatic efforts?"

"Nothing as complicated as that, thankfully," Zelgius said lightly. "I'm just here to inspect the Crimean army. The Apostle is eager to start bringing our soldiers home."

"Ah, so you've come to inspect how I've been handling it, have you?" Ike asked with a slight trace of humor. Zelgius could see that he had adjusted to his position in the year he had been away, not seeing the depression or resentment that had obviously burdened the other man last year. "Well, I can't say things have gone smoothly, but they've been getting by well enough."

"I trust they have been if you're putting it like that," Zelgius replied with a slight smile on his face. "You seem a lot calmer than you were when we last met."

Ike frowned at that remark, and Zelgius was wondering if he had said the wrong thing. "Yeah. I just realized a lot of things after you left, that's all," he said calmly, smiling.

What those things were eluded Zelgius, but he supposed that it didn't matter at the moment. "Well, I suppose it's good that you're doing better. Perhaps you found something that worked for you," he sighed. "Crimea is safe as long as you're their general."

That remark seemed to have make Ike think of something, because he suddenly frowned. "Maybe, but I'm just a simple mercenary. I can't do it alone," he shrugged.

"At least you realize that."

"I've always known it," Ike corrected. "Can anyone truly do anything alone?" he asked, looking at the sky as he sighed.

"Mm..." Zelgius couldn't really find something to say to that. "You've grown," he finally remarked, berating himself afterward for how obvious that was.

Ike actually chuckled at that, grinning slightly. "Oh, I've grown in a number of ways, General," he said, brandishing his sword. "Want to see one of them?"

It was a tempting offer, Zelgius found. The last time, Ike had improved significantly, and right now was a chance to see how much more powerful he was. On the other hand, the last time they sparred led to something Zelgius still found himself regretting. He wondered how Ike was dealing with it, but he couldn't tell with his current behavior.

_Are you seriously going to pass up a chance to see how skilled he is?_ he found himself yelling in his head, and with a small smile, he nodded.

"Very well. If you're so confident, I can't help but accept," Zelgius said, drawing his own sword. This time, he'd fight using his preferred weapon, but he would remain careful. "At your ready, General Ike."

Ike's grin widened. "That's more like it. Prepare yourself, General Zelgius!"

With that said, they leaped at each other, ready to begin combat.

* * *

Yet again, he had been surprised.

As he parried another blow, stepping out of the way and attempting to hit Ike's side—only to be blocked—he found that Ike had improved greatly. There was a precision that wasn't there before, and Zelgius actually found himself on the defensive again. Unlike the last time, Ike's movements were not hampered by his emotional state, and that made him a very powerful opponent.

However, it was also a good thing that Zelgius was far better with a sword than a spear.

Blocking another strike, he couldn't help but smirk at the satisfied look on the younger general's face. "You're enjoying this a lot, aren't you?" he drawled as he spun around, attempting to hit Ike's back. Ike anticipated it and dodged at the last second, grinning.

"Not too often when I have skilled opponents. It must be the same for you, right?" the younger general retorted. "But I do wish you would stop holding back. There's no point to sparring if you're not giving it your all!"

That was another surprise, but Zelgius took it in stride. "I'd only say that if you intend on going full out as well," he retorted smoothly, watching Ike's eyes widen. "As it is, I'd like to keep my family's style a secret until I face a real enemy." To him, it was a poor excuse, especially if Ike had seen anything in their spar, but the other man merely shrugged.

"A family style, huh? Well, if you don't want to show it, you have your reasons..." Ike muttered. "Well, as long as you can still fight, it probably doesn't matter."

Zelgius released a sigh of relief he didn't know he had been holding. At least now he wouldn't ask how he fought so differently. "Indeed. Now, show me how much you've improved," he stated, coming out more like an order.

In any case, Ike continued the fight by leaping at him. Zelgius could already tell that he was still holding back; several maneuvers and techniques he used when he fought against the Black Knight were not being used, and he could actually tell when Ike was stopping himself from continuing an attack. Perhaps he was trying to keep himself from injuring him, but that would be his mistake. No, it wouldn't do at all.

Ike was in for a rude surprise as Zelgius not only parried his attack, but got inside his defenses and landed a hit to his arm. He hissed as he stepped back, only to be set upon by the older man, blade already high in the air. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, quickly bringing his own blade up and deflecting the blow, taking a step back. He looked up to see Zelgius's amused expression, the barest trace of a smirk on his face. "Okay, okay, you got me."

Shaking his head, the Begnion general sheathed his sword. "I suppose that's enough for now. You've underestimated me today, it seems," he said with some humor. "But still, how you've improved...it's astounding."

Ike put away his own sword, rotating his arm. "Really? I don't think I've been improving much at all."

"No, I mean it. You've gotten a lot stronger over the past year..." Zelgius said, nodding. "But I'm curious...why do you think that you haven't been improving?"

Ike paused for a moment in thought before shrugging. "It just never occurred to me. I've always been training to get better but...it somehow seems that it's not enough," he muttered. "Everyone keeps saying that I've gotten stronger. I just really can't believe it, though."

Just the way Ike said it struck a cord within him. Zelgius took a deep breath, blinking rapidly as it brought back another memory of his from so many years ago.

_"You've gotten so much better, Sir Zelgius! Magnificent!"_

_"...does it really seem that way?"_

_"Of course. I can't believe you're so powerful now! I mean, everyone thought you just one of those braggart squires when you first came here, but now..."_

_"...I see."_

"Do you think they're empty compliments?" Zelgius found himself asking, the memory fading. "You've truly gotten stronger, yet..."

"Empty? I don't know. Maybe it's because my goal is higher than most." Ike joked, chuckling. "I'm nowhere near my father's level. Every day, I keep wondering how much more I have to go to get to even match him..."

Zelgius chose this time to look away, biting his tongue. The worst part was that he sympathized with Ike, because he knew exactly how he felt. Too well, in fact.

"You shouldn't think too hard on it. Doing so will not help you at all," he finally said, closing his eyes. If only he could take his own advice, he thought to himself.

"Perhaps..." Ike sighed. "...I suppose that's enough about my own worries, huh? I feel bad making you listen to me."

"It is no trouble at all, Ike. Everyone needs to vent at some point," Zelgius said pointedly.

Ike smiled, but then looked curious. "So, who do you vent to? With all those nobles you have to deal with, you probably have a lot of things to get off your chest at times."

"Ha ha...I will admit to that. But no, I merely work my aggression off through training, nothing more. That's all I need to do," Zelgius said carefully. Ike was treading onto ground he would rather not speak of, but he really couldn't stop him without being suspicious.

"Huh, imagine that," Ike murmured in surprise. "You're really calm, you know that? If only I had some of your patience...you're the one I always end up talking with, oddly enough."

"And what of your mercenaries?" Zelgius asked after a moment's pause, watching Ike's face. The younger general seemed to have a sad smile as he shook his head.

"I do talk with them regularly. Every few days, in fact. It's just..." He sighed again, looking off into the distance. "I don't know how to put it. It's like there's only some things another person in my position can understand. I know that's not the case, but still..."

Zelgius understood his feelings, but not for the reasons given. He understood being isolated from what was familiar, trapped and wanting to get out and wanting to return, only to find it impossible...the frustration and anger of solitude...the very same things he himself had suffered under for so long before he met _him_.

"As long as you can relieve your stress somehow, it shouldn't be a problem," he said finally, turning away. "Shall we return now? I think I've gone over what I needed to today."

"Yeah, that's probably best at the moment," Ike conceded, starting to walk back towards the castle. As they made their way into the corridors, Ike smiled again. "Your swordsmanship...even if you don't show me your family's style, it's really impressive. I don't think I've faced someone as skilled as you in quite a while."

"Oh?" Zelgius queried, looking surprised. "That's quite the compliment, General. But there must be people around here that are just as skilled."

"I do spar with Lucia and Geoffrey sometimes, true," the Crimean general said, fingering the hilt of his blade. "But no one will be like _that_ opponent."

"Who do you mean?"

Ike looked away. "It's not important. He's already dead, in any case."

Zelgius thought it best not to continue the conversation further.

* * *

It was strange to realize that the only thing Zelgius looked forward to during his visits to Crimea were his sparring sessions with Ike. That wasn't to say he faltered in his duties, which he still performed to his utmost. But the only thing he waited for was the clashing of weapons with the younger general, as he was eager to see his progress.

How far had he come? How much had he grown? Those questions were always in his head during their sessions, and it did indeed seem that Ike would truly take Gawain's place in the days to come, and he had to keep himself from shivering in delight. The time was almost upon him that he'd be able to face his teacher once more! However, Ike would need some sort of opponent to make him get better as fast as possible...but it was far too early for the Black Knight to make his reappearance.

No, the most appropriate action would be to keep up the ruse of sparring with the Crimean general, making sure to set him down the path that would increase his skills. He'd have to make him stop holding back, but as long as he revealed some of his own skills without delving into Gawain's style, he would be alright.

If it were only that simple. At times, he actually found himself enjoying the small fights they had, for they did more than just feed his anticipation of his future fight. For the first time in a long while, it actually felt he had some sort of purpose—something besides training, something besides following his master's orders. This was something _he_ wanted, and he could say that without hesitation, even if his reasons were dubious.

Zelgius couldn't see him in the morning, mostly because both he and Ike had their own duties to attend to. The army was a lot larger than before, though some companies were shorter than the others. It seemed the Royal Knights were still training cavalry and other knights to make up for the poor numbers.

All in all, the army was adequate, but not enough for him to warrant Begnion's withdrawal of forces. Both Queen Elincia and Ike had nodded when he addressed them, the former looking like she was expecting that. It would explain why she looked so solemn when he had mentioned it the previous day.

That afternoon, when he asked Ike about it during their sparring session, Ike looked troubled by his remarks. "It's because many of the new recruits are being swayed to work for some noble houses instead of the queen," he explained, frowning thoughtfully as he assumed a ready position. "They've pledged loyalty to her, of course, but it remains troubling that they don't actually serve in her ranks."

Zelgius frowned. "You think they want to siphon power from the queen?" he asked. While noble houses would have their own armies in a given territory, they still had to take commands from the overall authority, which would be Queen Elincia. It was somewhat like how they did it in Begnion, where Zelgius himself not only headed Sephiran's troops, but was the military commander of the Central Army. Still, to think he had to take orders from those wretched nobles...

"I don't think it's that...I just think they're being petty and selfish. A country can't come together if they're bickering like this, right?" Ike asked, giving a frustrated sigh before reassuming his posture. "I suppose I can worry about that later, though. Come on, let's keep going."

"Right," Zelgius said with a nod, finding himself being attacked mere moments later. It was a nice little bonus when sparring with the younger man, as he tended to tell him of the situations and issues that both he and the queen were dealing with. Not only did it make his own job easier, but...some part of him just _connected_ with Ike, because everything about Ike's current situation resonated somehow with him. Struggling and adapting to situations...that's how a true soldier worked.

Like how he had to, once.

"You're open!" Ike suddenly shouted, and Zelgius shook himself out of his thoughts just in time to see Ike's sword mere inches away from him, and he quickly brought his sword up to block, chastising himself for letting his attention wander. "What's wrong, Zelgius? You're not concentrating!" Ike yelled, frowning.

Zelgius drew back, reassuming his position. "My apologies. My mind wandered," he said in a clipped tone, bringing his sword up. "It won't happen again."

Ike seemed concerned for a moment before nodding. "If you say so..." he muttered before charging again, this time satisfied as Zelgius met him with equal fervor, an unreadable look on his face. If Ike wondered why he looked that way, he didn't say anything as he continued pressing his attack, seeing if he could get into Zelgius's defenses.

Zelgius frowned, parrying the strike. "You'll have to do better than that," he muttered loud enough for the other man to hear before redirecting Ike's blade and maneuvering himself near Ike, catching him in the chest with the broad side of his sword. Ike's eyes widened as he stumbled, catching himself only as he back flipped away to stare at Zelgius in shock.

"That was..." he breathed, lowering his sword. Zelgius didn't know what Ike was so shocked about before he realized it himself.

_Damn you Zelgius, you stupid imbecile! You just used one of your moves!_ he growled in his mind. Had his focus been so bad that he used one of those techniques? "That was...what?" he asked in confusion, hoping that Ike did not catch on.

Ike shook his head slowly, as if he were trying to make sense of it. "What you just did. Where did you learn that?" he asked sharply, staring at the Begnion general. "The ones that have used that maneuver are very few and far between."

Zelgius quickly racked his mind for a plausible lie, outwardly showing no expression. Finally, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You used it once last year. I don't know if you remember, but I found it rather powerful and practical, so I mastered it in our time away from each other," he explained as calmly as he could, trying to gauge Ike's reaction so he could change his story if he needed to. "I didn't wish to show you, so..."

Ike stared blankly at him, as if he were trying to see if that worked. "It might be true I used it in one of our spars..." he murmured finally, frowning. "And if you decided to emulate that...hm. How odd." He then chuckled, much to Zelgius's disbelief. "How ironic. I do it to him, and now you do it to me. How very strange."

Although he was relieved that Ike seemed to buy his hastily constructed lie, he couldn't help but be curious. "What do you mean?" he asked, sheathing his own sword. It seemed that they wouldn't be sparring again today, from the way Ike was looking at him.

"Him. The Black Knight. I keep reliving that fight in my mind..." Ike said, looking at the sky. Zelgius said nothing, instantly understanding. "I can't help it. Every night, I wonder about that battle. His moves, his techniques...they were so powerful. I've been practicing them, trying to learn them and make them my own. I've been doing the same thing you're doing, Zelgius."

Inwardly, Zelgius was smirking. Ike was indeed going to be his final challenge, especially if he picked up so many new techniques from just that battle alone. Their next real clash would prove to be quite interesting, and he wasn't sure exactly who would be the one to come out on top. "I think it's natural to use things that not only will make you more powerful, but help you survive," he said, keeping a calm look on his face. "Despite how dishonorable it seems, that's how warriors such as us work. We don't have the luxury of picking and choosing what we take. Whatever it takes to survive, we must use."

"Mm. Someone who used to train with me said the same thing. I've never forgotten it," Ike sighed, somewhat wistful. "In any case, I guess I'm not angry about it. I don't think it's something you'll probably use much, huh?"

_If only you knew,_ Zelgius thought before shaking his head. "Mm. I might end up your enemy one day, though. Would you be fine with that?" he asked, surprising himself.

Ike only chuckled and smiled. "I know. If you're the one who would be my enemy, I guess I wouldn't mind. You're not the kind of person who would misuse your skills, from what I've seen."

"I happy to hear that you have such faith in me," Zelgius said, pushing back the empty feeling in his chest. _Things always have to turn out like this, don't they?_

As Ike smiled at him, he mentally sighed. If only he knew the trouble he would be in for.

* * *

The next day found himself once again facing his own troops, reassuring them that they would be brought home before the year ended. He could tell that some of them were getting complacent in their duties, having been stuck in the country for some time. They were reassured by Zelgius's promises, and the Begnion general knew that they would be able to stick it out a little longer.

However, something else had been weighing on his mind since the previous night. He really wasn't one to let his attention slip, but after he found himself cursing his inattentiveness for the second time that day, he remembered what Ike had told him last night.

_"If you're the one who would be my enemy, I guess I wouldn't mind. You're not the kind of person who would misuse your skills..."_

"By the goddess, he just had to say that," he groaned. Zelgius knew that he was doing everything here just for his own ambition. He sparred with Ike only to see how far he progressed, how much further he had until he was an equal to Gawain. He only fought with him and gave him advice because it would serve for his own benefit in the end. He'd have his fight, triumph, and prove to Gawain that he had overcome him.

The only problem—one he had never anticipated—was getting attached.

He had resisted, of course. Ike, however, said and did things that reminded him too much of himself, things that he had thought he left behind long ago. Even though they hadn't known each other long or fought together, Ike seemed to trust him. More than that, he looked at Zelgius with such respect that it actually made him pause. Sure, he got respect from everyone else in the army, but it just felt _different_ coming from the younger man.

_No one ever looks at me that way,_ he thought suddenly, stopping to look at the ground. _And yet, I know it won't last. He'll know who I am soon enough._

Taking a deep breath, he resumed his pace back towards the castle, a grimace on his face. _Calm yourself, Zelgius. You are Begnion's commander in chief. You are the Black Knight, and the first apprentice of Gawain. This stuff should not get to you._

He already had one person that he bound himself to as his servant. That person entrusted to him all of his plans and sorrows, along with his regret. The world would end within the next two years, and they were the only ones who knew that. It was what his master was trying so hard to achieve.

But whenever he talked with Ike, he found his resolve faltering. It was almost surreal with how it reminded him of his own moments with Gawain so very long ago, when he still served in Daein's ranks. Back then, even though he suffered from isolation and lived in fear of discovery, he was actually happy. Gawain had trained and treated him like a father would a son...which turned into the ultimate irony when he struck him down in Gallia that night. With every day, with every sparring session he shared with Ike, it felt like he was becoming more of a mentor than anything to the younger general.

Did all life deserve to be completely annihilated? Zelgius never knew, and he would never know for the life of him.

He snorted. "Since when have my thoughts ever mattered? There's no turning back," he muttered bitterly, hastening his stride.

He was troubled to find himself conflicted.

* * *

That night, he couldn't sleep. While this wasn't an uncommon occurrence, he just _couldn't_ seem to get over it. Sighing, he got out of his bed and put on some light clothes, frowning. "What am I doing?" he asked himself, quietly exiting the guest room. At this time of night, the only ones patrolling the corridors were the night sentries, who merely nodded at him as he made his way down to the training grounds. It was quiet, which was to be expected, with only the dimming embers of the torches lighting the way.

The night air felt refreshing against his skin, but it offered Zelgius no comfort. Right now, he was questioning if everything he had been doing up to this point was right. Had it been worthwhile, sparring with Ike and spurring him on? Was it because of that one decision that he was now being reminded of his younger years? He really didn't know, and now he had to sort them all out.

However, there was one question on his mind that was more pressing than anything.

_Do you regret it?_

To what that question referred to, he didn't know. He regretted a lot of things during his life, but at least then he knew exactly what his choices had been. But now...he was unclear on his own feelings. What exactly was up with him?

"Damn...was this a bad idea after all? Maybe it would have been better had I not done this..." he muttered, looking up at the night sky. _But how else would I have made sure_?

"...Zelgius?"

Holding back a gasp of surprise, the Begnion general whirled around to see Ike standing a few feet away from him, clad in a loose shirt and pants. "General Ike...you're out rather late," he managed to let out. He cursed at his luck; why did it seem like Ike was following him everywhere?

"I could say the same to you," Ike retorted, walking up beside him. "Not many come down here at this time of the night."

"...which would explain why you're here," Zelgius concluded, getting a snort from the younger man.

"Maybe. I'm surprised to see you're here, though. Something on your mind?" Ike inquired, turning his gaze to the sky as well.

There were quite a lot of things on Zelgius's mind, none of which he could actually tell the other man. "You could say that. It just concerns a lot of things," he shrugged off, making it a point not to make eye contact with Ike.

The younger man turned to stare at him, frowning slightly. "A lot of things? Like what?"

"Just issues that have been weighing on my mind. Nothing more," Zelgius dismissed. He really didn't have the patience to deal with Ike at the moment, but before he managed to turn and walk away, Ike spoke up once again.

"Issues?" Ike questioned before getting a serious look on his face. "Does it concern with what we did a year ago?"

Zelgius visibly stiffened. It was apparent to Ike that it was a subject that he didn't want to think about. "So, you're done ignoring it then?" he asked, still not making eye contact.

Ike shrugged himself. "Like you have been?" he asked, not bothering to look at the older man. "You know, I was asking myself after that night if I actually felt anything for you."

Zelgius snorted. "You thought you loved me?" he asked skeptically, rolling his eyes at the mere thought of it. Ike only grunted in response.

"I wasn't sure at the time. Could you blame me? We had only known each other for a few days, and yet..." Ike then sighed, turning so he was facing Zelgius's back. "I know now it wasn't love or anything. I just got caught up in the heat of the moment. The same happened to you, didn't it?"

When Zelgius didn't answer, Ike scowled. "Look. I know what happened last year wasn't the best of circumstances or anything. I was pissed, you _got_ pissed, and then we somehow ended up in bed. I can see why you would want to forget about that. But I don't believe you're the type of person to just pretend it never happened!"

"And then what would you have me do?" Zelgius snapped, glaring back at the younger man. "You would have me be okay with it? Pretend it's normal? Do not be so foolish, Ike! You know very well what we did was-"

"I know what we did," Ike interrupted, returning the glare. "I'm not denying it. I know it's not normal, and if anyone ever found out, our countries would hunt us down. I know the consequences just as well as you do, General. What I can't be sure of are your own feelings on it."

"Hmph. My own feelings..." Zelgius muttered, closing his eyes. The whole day had been about sorting out his own feelings, and now it was like he was being forced to answer. "...they're irrelevant. As long as you realized it was not right, then there is nothing more to say."

"Dammit, Zelgius, listen to yourself!" Ike snapped, and before he knew it, Zelgius found himself backed into the same wall Ike had been backed into during their spar a year ago. "Why are you saying it doesn't matter? Are you just saying that so you won't have to actually come to terms with your own issues? I haven't heard anything about what you might think of it, and don't give me that tripe you were saying before. You're a far better man than that, Zelgius...I know that."

Zelgius remained silent, eyes wide. Such words from Ike...they were very unsettling.

After a few moments of silence, Ike sighed. "Just tell me. If you truly regret that night, if you truly don't want to acknowledge it, I'll just walk away right now and pretend it never happened. We'll just acknowledge that we never did such a thing, and never will. Tell me if you really regret that night."

"I..." Zelgius started, still at a loss for words. Why did this have to come up now, when he was just wondering about this?

The person in front of him, the one almost pinning him to the wall and looking at him with such an expression—this was supposed to be his enemy! This was Gawain's son! This was...the person he had bedded that night. _Dammit..._

"...don't regret it," he finally let out. In reality, he had never regretted it; he only fooled himself into thinking that he did, because everything about it was so _wrong..._

...but when it came to Ike, it seemed that everything was turned on its head. "I never have."

Ike nodded. "I see..." he murmured, sighing softly. "I was hoping to hear that."

"Why?" Zelgius asked lowly, taking a deep breath. He knew that that situation, that _this_ situation was completely wrong; he knew what it was leading to, and yet...

The younger man shook his head. "I haven't regretted it either. To be honest..." Zelgius then felt him lean up against him, their faces unnervingly close. "It actually felt nice, you know? Even if it was wrong for us to do it, it just felt so...natural back then, for some reason. Did you feel that way too?"

"Somewhat..." Zelgius gulped. He couldn't exactly say he was uncomfortable with this situation, but did he want to commit to the same thing he had done previously?

"...yes. I did feel that way."

"That's all I need to know then."

The next thing Zelgius felt was Ike's mouth on his, _kissing_ him, and he felt himself kissing back despite himself. It was almost like how it happened last time, but instead of the fierce and sloppy kisses of that night, it was slower and...dare he say it?—_passionate._ He felt himself leaning against the wall as Ike claimed his mouth, the younger man throwing his arms over his shoulders and keeping him close. Despite how he knew that he shouldn't be doing it, he couldn't help but feel a sense of thrill doing this.

As Ike pulled away, Zelgius let loose a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "Ike, we can't-" he started, swallowing. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"I know very well what it means," Ike retorted. "And I'm doing it anyway. What say you, _General?_"

No romantic attachments, no love between them...just pure physical attraction. Perhaps Ike did understand that. "Just as long as we're careful," he conceded, feeling Ike's breath against his face, kissing him slowly.

"Alright...come on, we can make it up to my quarters since the night sentries are forbidden around there. Follow me." Ike whispered, and once again, Zelgius found himself following the younger general to his room, about to recommit what happened the last time.

And goddess help him, he couldn't help but feel excited right now.

* * *

He never knew how they made it up to his room without anyone seeing them, but apparently a few months ago, one of the more petty aristocrats paid off some soldiers to snoop around General Ike's room in an attempt to get something on him. They were found out rather quickly and were jailed, and the noble was expelled from the palace court soon after. The Queen had then forbidden any sort of watch over Ike's quarters, furious at the nobles' attempt to undermine her authority.

It worked in their favor, however, as they quickly stepped inside. As soon as the door was closed, Ike's lips were on his again, and the only thing he cared about at the moment was the younger man currently snaking his tongue into his mouth. He leaned against the door, Ike pressing into him as his hands wandered underneath his shirt, and he groaned softly. "Eager, aren't you?" he rasped as Ike broke away, Ike's hands lightly dragging across his stomach.

"Can you blame me?" Ike replied huskily, lips moving to Zelgius's neck. Lightly groaning, the older man idly wondered how this mess started in the first place, but his musings were forgotten as Ike lightly bit him, making him groan.

"No, I suppose I can't," Zelgius muttered. "But you know we must be quick about this." It was just like that last time; anyone could come to check at any sudden noise, even if there weren't sentries posted around there.

Ike nodded. "I know. Just be as quiet as you can." he murmured, and Zelgius then found himself being pulled to the bed. Ike apparently couldn't wait, because he was grinding against him again, and even though their clothes were in the way, the friction of it sent shivers down his spine, arching into that sensation. The younger man was certainly being aggressive tonight, if the way he pulled at his shirt was indicative of anything. Once Ike pulled his shirt off, one hand dropped down to immediately start unfastening his pants, and as they dropped, Zelgius couldn't help but feel somewhat aroused by how Ike was taking charge.

"You're overdressed," he complained, a slight grumble in his tone as he grabbed Ike's shirt. The younger man grinned as he allowed it to be pulled off, and Zelgius immediately shucked it somewhere out of sight. Under all the clothes and armor, Ike's physique had built up even more, as muscled abs and a built chest met his sight. He absentmindedly licked his lips as Ike got rid of his own pants, leaving them in equal states of undress. "Well, you certainly have grown. I guess it wasn't just you bragging after all," he commented wryly, looking over Ike's chest.

Ike chuckled. "Like what you see, General?" he asked in amusement, pressing himself closer to the older man. Zelgius shuddered at the warmth of Ike's body in close proximity, unused to anyone ever being as close as they were. "But I'm pretty sure we're not just here because you want to admire my body." Before Zelgius knew it, Ike pushed him onto the bed, following him a moment later.

Zelgius blinked as he felt Ike lay on top of him, staring down at him. "You're..." he muttered, feeling the younger man's full weight on him.

Ike smiled softly, his hand wandering down to the older man's chest. "I know, I know...you were my first and all, but I can't help but wonder what it would feel like if I were in your place," he murmured. His fingers had apparently found Zelgius's nipples and were now playing with them, and Ike chuckled when he heard Zelgius groan softly. "Will you allow me to do this?"

Zelgius looked conflicted for a moment before nodding. Ike smiled again before his head descended, and the older man felt Ike's tongue lap at his neck, the wet organ meeting his overheated skin. He groaned as he felt those hands roll the nubs on his chest between two fingers, lightly pinching them. _Why am I letting him do this_...? he wondered as Ike started to lap at his chest, tongue hesitantly playing with one of his nipples before starting to tease it mercilessly, getting another groan from him. _I've never had anyone this close to me, so why?_

He never could remember who his own first was. Did it happen when he was just a squire in Daein, when several nights of building tension left him in the hands of an older recruit? Or was it sometime after that, before meeting Gawain? In any event, he had just been looking for an outlet for his frustration and loneliness and found himself in bed with someone, lying beneath them as they pounded into him. Obviously it never really meant anything, for he couldn't remember the person's face, and he was sure the person had later died during one of the many conflicts that Daein was mired in.

But now, he didn't know. Did this time actually mean anything to him?

He was shocked out of his thoughts when Ike's hand wandered to his back and brushed over a certain place below his left shoulder. Zelgius visibly tensed and gasped, eyes wide as he arched into Ike. The younger general was surprised by the reaction, momentarily stopping as he stared at the person under him. "What was that...?" he managed to ask, his hand trailing over that same place. Looking at the surprised expression on Zelgius's face, he smirked. "Oh, I get it. It's a sensitive place, huh? Well then, I know what to do with those..."

Zelgius had to bite his lip to stop himself from actually moaning. Ike's hand was rubbing a lazy circle over his Mark—a place _no one_ had ever touched before, not even his master. The feeling of something pressing against it always sent a shiver through him, but he never expected the actual feeling of someone touching it to be so _intense_. To top it all off, he felt the blood start rushing down to the lower part of his body, making him even harder than he ever thought possible.

The thought of actually stopping now seemed quite foolish to him.

Ike lightly moaned as he felt Zelgius arch up and grind against him, his bare erection rubbing against his and sending a jolt up his spine. Whatever he just did, it seemed Zelgius wanted more, if the Begnion general's breathless expression said anything about it. He teased that spot a number of ways, from ghosting his fingers over it to actually pressing it. Each time, Zelgius would react somehow, either by groaning loudly or bucking his hips, causing Ike to pause and moan himself. It seemed that spot on his back was _quite_ sensitive, and Ike didn't doubt that he could get Zelgius off on just that alone.

But that wouldn't be very fun or rewarding, he thought. Withdrawing his hand, he saw the look of absolute relief on Zelgius's face and chuckled. "Didn't think you had a place like that on you, Zelgius. I guess it's true that everyone has a weak spot somewhere." he mused, shifting himself down as his head lowered. "But don't think it's over yet."

Dazed, Zelgius was going to ask what he meant when he felt a new kind of pleasure wash over him, watching as Ike took his arousal into his mouth. It was one thing to have felt himself buried into Ike's body the year before, but it was quite another to feel Ike's mouth around him, a veritable hot and wet cavern around him. He groaned as he threw his head back, the younger man bobbing his head slowly and licking what he could of him. If Ike was being awkward from inexperience, Zelgius wouldn't know because _damn_, it felt so good.

Ike continued taking Zelgius's hard erection into his mouth, taking in slightly more each time he bobbed his head. From the way Zelgius was gripping his hair, he knew he was doing _something_ right, running his tongue up the skin of the organ. From the way the older man was twitching, he was trying to keep from just thrusting into his mouth, and Ike was grateful for that. He knew he wouldn't be able to take all of him, so he just sucked gently and licked the underside of the head, getting these _delicious_ panting sounds from the other man.

Eventually, Ike tried to take in too much and gagged, immediately pulling himself off as he coughed. Zelgius looked up in a mixture of concern and disappointment, a flushed look on his face. "Sorry, didn't think you were so...well, big," Ike tried to say with some humor, pointedly glancing at the older man's arousal, covered in his saliva. He gripped it lightly, giving it a pump as Zelgius groaned again. "I'd like to do more, but..."

"Ugh, you damned tease..." Zelgius breathed, giving Ike a half-lidded stare. "Just hurry up already." He never thought he could be so impatient, but he was impossibly hard and incredibly turned on at the moment.

Ike blushed. "Well, about that..." he said, scratching the back of his head. He had already positioned himself in between Zelgius's legs, remembering what happened last time. But after that... "It's the first time I'm doing this, and I don't want to mess it up or anything."

Zelgius caught onto what Ike was saying and sighed. He could afford to wait for a few minutes. "Where's the oil?" he asked lowly, still not trusting his voice. He was afraid he had been too loud already, but it had seemed to spur Ike on. When the younger man pointed at the stand beside the bed, Zelgius quickly grabbed the flask and uncapped it, noticing it was the same kind of oil from last time. "Keeping it just for this moment, huh?" he commented wryly, making Ike blush a bit harder.

"It's just more of it. I've already used the old stuff up," Ike quickly retorted. "Anyway, what do I-"

"Hold out your hands," Zelgius interrupted. Ike did so as he poured a generous amount of the stuff into them, watching as Ike slicked them up. "Now just do what I did last time. You surely remember that."

Ike nodded, glancing down at the hole. Almost hesitantly, he trailed a slick finger down there, slowly inching it forward before he slid it in, mesmerized as the hole seemed to swallow it up. He heard Zelgius's breath hitch as he paused, remembering the slight discomfort he felt when the older man had done it to him. After waiting a few moments, he moved his finger around, not knowing what exactly to do.

"You have to use more than one. You have to make sure you'll be able to fit inside me," Zelgius instructed. Ike must have thought he was getting impatient—which he was, but he'd never say that to Ike—because he hurriedly nodded and slowly inserted a second finger, making Zelgius groan. Just the feeling of something up there made him tremble from both pain and some sort of excitement. He didn't know why he felt that way, but he didn't care at the moment. All he wanted was to get himself off.

Ike seemed to get more comfortable, slowly scissoring his fingers as Zelgius told him to. The soft grunts and groans from the man meant he was doing it right, and he kept doing it until he couldn't ignore his own need. "I think that should be fine," he muttered, pulling his fingers out. Zelgius seemed to relax some, head falling upon the pillow as panted. "Now...um..."

Zelgius really couldn't wait anymore as he grabbed the flask again, this time pouring some of it into his hands and slicking them up. "Come here," he ordered. Ike, confused, edged himself closer to the man before gasping and jerking in surprise. Zelgius's hand had shot down and grabbed his erection, stroking quickly to slick it up.

"Z-Zelgius? What are you doing?" he exclaimed in a hushed tone, trying to keep himself steady. The Begnion general's hand on his arousal was tight, and the movement of it was enough to make his hips jerk in time with it.

The other man said nothing as he let go, getting a groan of disappointment from Ike. "Just preparing you, since you're taking too long," Zelgius muttered, getting an apologetic glance from Ike. He really didn't mean for it to sound so accusatory, but he was done with waiting. "Now, you know what comes next," he said, silently trying to relax himself. Ike nodded as he moved back down, settling in between the larger man's legs. After a few moments of tense silence, Zelgius felt Ike's head right at the entrance before it pushed its way past the ring of muscle, and then he knew pain.

Ike was startled as he saw the pained expression on Zelgius's face, fighting off the incredible feeling of heat surrounding his cock. "Are you okay?" he whispered, placing his hands on Zelgius's inner thighs and lightly running his fingers down the skin. The action seemed to be of some comfort to the older man, his face slowly relaxing.

Even though he had already been taken several years ago, it still didn't keep it from hurting when Ike eased into him. "I'm fine," he managed to say after several long moments, trying to control his breathing. "Just...give me a moment."

Ike made himself completely still, taking in some air. It was hard remaining like this, with the warmth and the tightness around his arousal being almost enough to make him lose control. He wanted to just let go and start pounding into the older man, but he wouldn't. Zelgius did not do that to him the last time, and he would have to show him the same consideration. He slowly smiled as Zelgius showed visible signs of relaxing, the man sighing when he finally felt the pain subside.

Zelgius felt his breathing even out, his eyes closing. It still hurt, but it wasn't as crippling as it was before. "I'm ready," he said, and to Ike, it was merely a command to finally let go. The younger man started moving, and Zelgius recalled the sensation of just being _full_ like this, Ike pressing into him and slowly pulling out, only to do it again a bit more forcefully. He spread his legs further out in an attempt to make Ike go deeper, and Ike acknowledged this by grabbing them, using them as leverage to plow himself deeper.

It was only when Ike rubbed against that spot inside him that the silence was broken between the two with a sharp gasp, and he groaned loudly as he threw his head back again. "By the goddess..." he moaned, closing his eyes to clear the white spots in his vision.

Elated by the reaction he got, Ike tentatively repeated the same motion again, this time thrusting in with more force. Zelgius groaned again and bucked his hips down, trying to push Ike in even deeper. Ike moaned himself, careful to keep quiet. It felt _so_ much better than last time, and he had to exhibit that much more caution because of it.

Just like the last time, Zelgius found himself lost in the moment, not caring about anything except what was happening right now. All he knew was that he was sprawled out on the bed with Ike between his legs, who was starting to increase the speed of his thrusts, each one starting to make the bed shake. He felt himself thrusting back as well, trying to drive himself onto Ike's arousal so he could finally achieve his release.

"Is this to your liking, General?" Ike asked huskily as he continued thrusting into Zelgius, low moans coming out of his mouth. He never thought something like this could feel so good, and he had done this last year with the same person! If he had wondered why Zelgius seemed to enjoy his power over him that night, all of his questions were answered as he took in Zelgius's breathless state. The older man was clenching around him, making everything so impossibly _tight_, and he didn't know how much longer he was going to hold out for.

Zelgius muttered a curse underneath his breath, trying very hard not to moan loudly. "More than you can imagine," he managed to retort. Everything just felt so hot to him, his erection was throbbing...it was hard to think straight.

Ike continued to pound into him, a grimace on his face. He was nearing his own limit, and it wouldn't be long until he hit his climax. However, Zelgius seemed right on the edge himself. What could he do to bring him to that point...?

A sudden idea hit Ike as he remembered what got Zelgius going earlier, and he started to let his hand drift back up the other man's body, a smirk on his face.

Timing his thrusts so he'd be fully inside Zelgius the moment he did it, he let his hand hover over the spot for a few moments. One thrust, two thrusts, and then...

Zelgius's eyes widened as he felt Ike's hand press his Mark just as he pounded right into him. "Guh...Ike!" he groaned, his climax hitting him as he came all over their bodies. The combined feeling of Ike touching that place and thrusting into him sent him reeling, and he was completely dazed as soon as the euphoria wore down.

Ike grit his teeth when he felt Zelgius tighten around him, and thrust in a few more times before he couldn't hold back any longer, groaning as he spilled into Zelgius, heavily breathing as he slumped onto the older man's chest.

Neither of them could muster the energy to move their heads, much less move away. The only sound in the room was their irregular breathing as they both fought to regain their breath.

The first one to recover was Ike, who groaned as he slowly pulled out of Zelgius, paying no attention to the mess that splattered onto his sheets as he did so. "I can't believe it..." he muttered, slowly flopping onto his back as he stared at the ceiling. "That was incredible."

Zelgius slowly blinked, some of his wits now starting to come back to him. "What was?" he asked slowly, a soft groan coming out of him as he did so. He knew he was going to be hurting in the morning, but right now it felt like he couldn't even move anything.

"What we just did. It felt so much better than last time," Ike remarked as he sat up, idly looking down at the mess that was on his stomach. "But then again..."

"Then again?" Zelgius repeated before the memories of what happened after their first time returned. "...oh," he muttered, looking away. He had panicked and fled the room as quickly as possible, not wanting to see Ike's face or be reminded of what they had done then.

But where did that leave him now?

With a sigh, Ike hefted himself off the bed, grabbing his clothes. "I think we might have made a little bit too much noise," he commented with a frown, suddenly worried. "I'm going to rinse myself off in the baths and go take a look around. I'll deal with anyone who might have heard us," he muttered, giving Zelgius a nod before making his way towards the bath in his quarters.

* * *

Zelgius watched as Ike entered a door at the far end of the room, the audible sound of a lock clicking signaling it was the bathing room. Leaning his head against the pillow once again, he looked down at his stomach, covered with his fluids. There was no denying it was an incredible experience, that was for sure. He just laid there for several minutes, the afterglow starting to fade away.

As he regained his composure, he had to wonder...where did this leave him? This was the second time he had sex with Ike, and this time, he couldn't even feel any regret or self-disgust. Did this mean he truly liked what they just did? That he was okay with being in bed with the person who would be his enemy in the end? What had happened to him regretting it?

_No, I don't regret this. How could I?_ he thought. He still had his own feelings, as much as he tried to hide them. That fear from his youth of being alone and hated still plagued him constantly—a fear that stemmed from the origin of his Mark. He didn't dare get close to anyone because of that, even if that meant suffering in solitude. Master Sephiran had been the first one to see both the Mark and his pain, and offered him companionship, reaching out to him when he needed someone the most. For that, he'd have Zelgius's undying loyalty.

But not even that could stop what his body wanted. Just being with someone, just touching and feeling and being _close_—that was different than simple companionship. And despite whatever he did, whatever he felt, he couldn't escape one of the truths that was now clear to him: being with Ike, just doing this...

For the first time, he didn't feel alone.

That bothered him. He was never supposed to get this close to the younger man, despite the connection they had to each other. All Ike was supposed to be was the person to carry on Gawain's skills, and the person he'd eventually challenge to see if he truly surpassed Gawain. But with his decision to start preparing Ike for that day, it eventually led to this...and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he didn't regret it.

It really didn't make sense to him. He certainly didn't feel any sort of love for Ike, especially considering how he viewed him. But at the same time, there was just some sort of inexplicable feeling that arose whenever it came to the younger man. There was just something about Ike and his troubles that Zelgius just...understood, and before he knew it, he'd become attached. Even if they only interacted for a scarce few days, what they just did defied what hold time had on them.

It was not just physical attraction that drove both of them to this, he realized, but it was something else entirely.

His musings were broken when Ike stepped out of the bathing room, already clothed. The younger man raised an eyebrow in amusement as he looked at him, the barest hint of a smile on his face. "How long are you going to stay like that, General? Or are you too comfortable to move?" he asked wryly, obviously entertained by what he was seeing.

It was then that Zelgius realized that he was still laying on the bed, naked. "Well, what else was I supposed to do?" he bit back, finally mustering the strength to sit up. He almost regretted moving with the dull ache from down there, but he managed to ignore it.

Ike shrugged. "In any case, I'm going to go look around. Clean yourself up and be ready to leave the moment I come back, because I don't know if there are any snoops around." He didn't even wait for the older man to get up before he was already at the doorway, cautiously checking the outside corridors through the crack of his door.

"Mm. My thanks, Ike," Zelgius murmured, not even watching Ike leave as he picked up his own clothes and headed into the room. As he started to rinse the mess off his body, he sighed.

Even though he was the Black Knight, perhaps the coming battle wouldn't be completely for his own sake. Perhaps it would also serve to sever the ties the two now held, to see if they could put aside what they had done.

"Are you laughing at me, Gawain?" he suddenly found himself asking, quickly scrubbing himself down. "You're probably getting a kick out of knowing that I was laying in bed, letting your son take me. Perhaps this is irony coming back to bite me."

He didn't feel the need to mention that he had liked it, even though there were so many things wrong with it.

But then again, everything was completely wrong when it came to him and Ike.

* * *

When Zelgius finally exited the bathing room, washed and clothed, he saw Ike sitting on the bed, holding something. "Did you see anyone?" he asked, frowning at the expression on Ike's face.

The Crimean general shook his head. "No, but I'm still going to remain cautious. You never know what could happen at this time of night."

"Very wise. However, that leaves me with going through the corridors alone," Zelgius said thoughtfully, scratching his chin. "Even if I am a visiting dignitary, they will find it suspicious regardless of my position."

Ike said nothing, merely tossing him a sword sheathed in its scabbard. At his inquisitive look, the younger man decided to elaborate. "It's one of my swords, but take it with you. Just say that I took one of your swords during a spar and you came to retrieve it. If they ask any further than that, well...I have confidence you'll be able to handle it from there."

Zelgius couldn't help but snort. "Another sword? How gracious of you," he said dryly, getting a chuckle from Ike.

"Bah. I can't ever satisfy you Begnion generals, can I?" Ike asked, faking a yawn. "Anyway, get going. The less time spent around here, the better."

"I see. Very well, I'll be off then," Zelgius said with a nod as he made his way towards the exit. However, just like last time, he paused to turn around and look at Ike's face. "...thank you for tonight. I'll remember it," he said softly.

"As will I, Zelgius," Ike responded. With that, the Begnion general left for his own room, thankfully meeting no one along the way.

The next day, Zelgius finished his assessment of the forces and set off immediately. However, the only difference this time was that Ike saw him off at the gate, a gesture that he knew had another meaning.

_I'll see you the next time..._ he thought, sighing. He wondered when the whole situation became so complicated, only to remind himself moments later that he was the one that had set the whole thing in motion.

And he couldn't help but be grateful for it.


	3. III

Time was always moving, whether it was fast or slow. To Zelgius, the days seemed to slip by rapidly, as did the months. His duties kept him occupied, as did his training and preparations for _that_ day. Before he knew it, almost a year had passed by since his last visit to Crimea.

And once again, the Apostle called on him to make yet another visit over there, this time for pulling whatever remaining troops over there out of the country. The Senate was quite adamant about keeping them there, wanting a measure of control inside the smaller kingdom. However, his master stepped in once more, this time with a counter-argument.

"Unlike in Daein, we hold no power over the inhabitants of Crimea," he said to the assembly, looking around. "Not only do we risk provoking the forces of Crimea if we stay any longer, but the overwhelming opinion in our own country is to finally withdraw from there. Observing proper protocol, we are to finally take all of our forces out of their kingdom. The soldiers do want to be brought home, after all."

"Nonsense," Zelgius heard someone snort, and he immediately knew it was Senator Lekain. Only he would presume to know what the people wanted. "Why would the Queen of Crimea refuse our soldiers? We are the ones that aided her, so naturally, we have a right to hold our position. We _are_ their suzerain, after all."

"Uwee hee hee..." came a sardonic chuckle, and Zelgius fought valiantly to keep himself from shivering in disgust. He couldn't mistake who that was. "My, does the 'queen' truly believe she has no need of her loving guardian? Does she not see that we may protect her better than those hairy sub-humans she calls her allies—"

"Hold your tongues, Duke Gaddos and Duke Culbert!" Sanaki finally snapped, her face impassive. Even so, everyone in the room could feel her fury, and they immediately silenced themselves to hear her words. "I will not have you say such things in this assembly. Besides, there are more important matters our soldiers can attend to than staying in Crimea. Have you forgotten that we are occupying another nation?"

"Also, the agreement that our Empress worked out with Queen Elincia says that we will not keep our troops in their nation any longer than three years." Sephiran added before anyone could object. "I believe this Senate agreed to that when we presented our resolution, right before General Ike took Nevassa, correct? It would truly be a shame to the citizens of Begnion if they found out that you reneged on your very words, persisting in doing this despite how you said you would honor your agreement."

There were some displeased murmurs along the senators, but no one actually raised an objection. "But...we sill have nearly half a year," Senator Hetzel then pointed out, cringing when both Sephiran and Sanaki turned their stares onto them.

"Yes, but we also included that we could pull our troops out earlier should we need to. There is no longer any point in remaining in Crimea, especially given the new troubles we are having in Daein," Sanaki said simply, glaring at the Senators as if daring one of them to challenge what she said. "Thus, I hereby command General Zelgius to head to Crimea and pull our soldiers out immediately."

Zelgius bowed his head. "I hear and obey, my Empress."

He could hear the senators grumble behind him until Lekain finally spoke up. "We senators accept the Apostle's decision," he said with a displeased tone. Sanaki nodded, secretly delighted over her victory. Zelgius then glanced at his master, who gave him a level stare in return. They would need to talk.

* * *

"Is something wrong, Zelgius?" Sephiran asked a bit later, walking in the gardens of the Mainal Cathedral.

"You've been sending me to Crimea on purpose, even though the tasks were menial. That means you've been wanting me to find out whatever I could over there, if I'm correct," Zelgius stated pointedly. When his master nodded, he sighed. "May I ask why?"

"It should come to no surprise to you, but Daein is beginning to show signs of an uprising," the prime minister said, causing Zelgius to stop walking. "You know very well what that means."

Zelgius turned away, avoiding Sephiran's face. "So it's begun then," he stated, unsure on how he felt about it. He knew it had been coming, but it had come quicker than he expected. "And because of that, you've been sending me to Crimea...to see how the situation is over there?"

Sephiran nodded, satisfied. "Of course. Sanaki will need a place to flee to once the senators begin their conspiracy. You know it will come soon, and she will more than likely end up going to Crimea. The Queen hasn't forgotten her kindness."

"But you also know Crimea is having troubles of its own, especially with the rift between the Queen and her court," Zelgius pointed out, getting a surprised look from his master. "From the way things are, there just might be an uprising over there, as well."

"Hmm, that is concerning." Sephiran murmured, his gaze settling on a fountain in the distance. "I have no doubt that Queen Elincia can suppress it, but...I am curious to know how you came to that conclusion, Zelgius."

Zelgius knew he couldn't lie to his master, but he also knew that Sephiran didn't need to be told the whole truth. "I've been making conversation with their general when I've been over there. It's given me better insight on the situation over there," he said casually.

"You've actually been speaking to Sir Ike?" Sephiran asked, looking surprised again. "...I see. You're trying to get him to the point where you'll face him down without holding back, correct?"

"Yes."

Sephiran gave him a piercing stare before turning away, sighing. "I won't interfere with that. However, things shall be fine as long as Crimea does not go into an uprising when we finally do go to war."

"Don't you think you're trying to manipulate too many things at once, Master?" Zelgius suddenly asked, looking surprised at his own question. "There are far too many things that could go wrong. The situation in Daein has deteriorated far faster than we thought it would, and now we might be looking at a revolution in Crimea. Would everything still be able to go as...you want it to?" He made sure to avoid addressing himself in that last statement, because he was still unsure on how he stood on the whole thing.

Instead of the cold and sharp retort he was expecting, all the prime minister did was sigh sadly. "I know far too well. Even now, I've miscalculated on how some things would really turn out. However, things are still going the way I want it to. Everything will still go as planned."

"Perhaps you should visit Crimea to get a better understanding yourself?" Zelgius offered, but frowned when Sephiran shook his head.

"I cannot, as there are things I must do here. Even if I wanted to, those accursed senators would likely send people to keep tabs on me. I cannot have that at this moment," he explained, flicking a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"I see. So you wish for me to go and get more information?"

"If possible, yes. However, if you feel the need to continue pushing Sir Ike to further reaches of his skill, then by all means, make that your priority. It is the only thing I can do for you right now, after all," Sephiran said dismissively, not meeting his general's face.

Zelgius didn't know whether if that was his Master's kindness or his indifference to his personal ambition. Either way, it didn't matter now. "Yes, my master," he said with a bow, exiting the gardens. He had to prepare for his journey, and then his meeting with Ike. He knew there was no way out of seeing him this time, so he had to be as composed as possible.

Because even now, months after that rendezvous in Ike's bedroom, he still woke up in the middle of the night, hard as a rock from the memory of that encounter.

* * *

Crimea still hadn't changed from when he last visited. Apart from some new buildings or new streets, it was the same kingdom he remembered from last year. He had been greeted by most of the Begnion soldiers stationed there as he headed into Melior, all of them incredibly eager to get home. Their cries of jubilation and relief were loud as he told them he came for them, and they went back to their posts in elation.

Queen Elincia was still as charming and elegant as she had always been, although somewhat more subdued. She seemed quite pleased by Begnion's decision to finally take their troops back, as some of them had been getting restless. When he asked if there had been any trouble, she merely shook her head. "All I know is that they are eager to get back to their homes. I'm afraid we might have troubled them enough already." Zelgius nodded, telling them he would take them within a day or so.

With that done, he went around to speak with each soldier, telling them to just hold on one last day. They had been quite excited, and quite eagerly told them how they couldn't wait to get home. Some of the other soldiers were satisfied when he talked to them, but somewhat disappointed that they'd finally be leaving Crimea. They had grown used to the place, even if they disagreed with the Queen on some matters.

By the time he was finished, late afternoon was setting in. He returned to the castle to eat his meal, then went to his room to change into something less restrictive. Just like the last two times, he set out to find the Crimean general, eager to clash blades again. If there was anything that he learned from his past visits, it was that time had been good to the younger man. His skill always improved each time he saw him, and now he truly wondered how strong he was. Was he within reach of Gawain's skill level now?

It didn't take long to find him. Each time, he would be out here, in the very same place where they met. Perhaps it was special to him in his own way, but he couldn't deny that it made finding him a lot easier. However, once he caught sight of the Crimean general, whatever he was about to say died in his throat. If he thought Ike had grown quite a bit last time, then he really didn't know how to explain what he saw before him now.

Ike grinned as he caught sight of the Begnion general, who had slowed his pace and was now staring at him. "Ah, General Zelgius. I was wondering when you'd come out here," he greeted, catching sight of the look on the other man's face. "Is something wrong?"

Zelgius shook his head, smiling back. "No, I am just...surprised. I didn't expect you to have grown so much in a year," he commented. Even that was an understatement; Ike had not only grown to almost his height, but he had become really built as well. Just where did all of that muscle come from? Not only that, his face seemed to have sharpened, and his resemblance to his father was even more apparent now. "You're certainly quite different than last time."

Ike rolled his eyes. "Again with that comment? Man, if I could count the amount of people telling me that..."

"No one can deny the truth, you know." Zelgius said, smirking. "What have you been doing to get like that, though? Have you been swinging a sword around every day?" he asked sardonically, chuckling in amusement.

Ike lifted an eyebrow and raised his sword, lifting it and laying it on his shoulder. "Exactly," he said with a smirk. "Ettard is pretty hard to lift, but I hardly feel its weight anymore. Maybe I've just gotten used to wielding really heavy swords."

"Well, that explains that, then." Zelgius conceded, fingering the hilt of his own blade. "I have to admit, you actually look intimidating now. Many enemies will be daunted by your stature."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Of course. Large men usually tend to frighten lesser enemies, as I'm sure you're aware," Zelgius explained, getting a thoughtful nod from Ike. "It's even worse if they're quite proficient with the blade. Has there ever been a time that you've seen someone like this as your own enemy?"

Ike frowned. "When I started as a mercenary, it did seem that way at first," he admitted, gazing at the sky. "I was still new to the idea of actually killing to prolong my life, so it was a bit surreal back then. I've grown out of it, though."

Zelgius couldn't help but ask the question on his mind. "And against the Black Knight?"

Ike stared at him for a few moments before sighing. "I was more scared of letting everyone down than I was of him," he said bluntly, crossing his arms.

"I see...forgive me for asking. I know it's a touchy subject," he apologized, although he was somewhat glad to hear that he was never afraid of fighting him. _I really shouldn't be so relieved to hear that_.

Ike shrugged. "It's no big deal. Anyway, I know why you're here," he said, getting into a ready stance. "You've come back for more, haven't you?"

Zelgius sighed. "Yes, but I'm afraid this will be our last time. I will have no more reason to visit Crimea after I leave tomorrow," he said, drawing his own sword and assuming his own position. He blinked when he saw Ike's face fall for a moment before it settled into a frown.

"Are you serious?" Ike asked, and Zelgius could see the faint expression of disappointment on his face. "Damn...so this really will be the last time we can spar like this, huh?"

Zelgius tilted his head, careful to make himself look only amused. "Are you going to be that disappointed?" he asked with some humor.

"Yeah, but..." Ike muttered, and for a moment, Zelgius thought he was going to say something else before he shook his head. "No, that doesn't matter right now anyway. Let's just fight."

If there was one thing that he could appreciate, it was the enthusiasm. "Very well. Let's go!" he shouted, and Ike leaped right at him, swinging the huge blade with incredible speed. From the way he was handling it, he could use it without any visible strain on his body.

Zelgius smirked. A _challenge. Perfect._

* * *

"Urgh...haaa!" Ike cried as he found himself in a deadlock with Zelgius, his brow sweaty from their extended spar. Zelgius was much the same, pushing him off and immediately retaliating when his defense was open. However, that was expected as he brought Ettard down and redirected the other man's sword, spinning as he sliced at the Begnion general.

Zelgius grunted as he narrowly avoided the slash. There was an obvious increase of strength in Ike's attacks, and the man was moving a lot quicker than he anticipated. "Impressive, Ike. However, I'm not done yet!" he exclaimed, ducking underneath another swipe and striking at Ike's unprotected side.

Ike barely brought down his blade in time to block it, grimacing. Zelgius moved quickly, jumping to the side to try and hit the weak spots in Ike's defenses. Each time he was repelled at the last moment, but the Begnion general kept pressing his attack, making sure Ike didn't have another chance to attack.

_Strange...he was more aggressive in getting out of my attacks earlier on. Why is he suddenly being cautious?_ Zelgius wondered as Ike finally managed to back away, studying him. The Crimean general's attacks had been quite fierce a bit earlier, but they seemed to slow down as Ike went more on the defensive. The strangest part was that Ike didn't seem to be exhausted..._A ruse, then?_

"You've gotten better, Ike..." Zelgius breathed, trying to make sense of what the younger man was doing. "But I don't think that just waiting for me to attack is going to do anything, will it?" he taunted.

Ike shrugged. "There's only one way to find out, General. Come!" he bellowed, reassuming his stance.

Zelgius knew the only way to end it if one of them charged forward, and it seemed that Ike wasn't going to do it. Scowling, he ran forward, again pressing his attack at the younger man. Just like last time, they were blocked at the last second, Ike hefting his blade to deflect the blows. It was strange to note that he was entirely on the defensive when he had opportunities to attack, so why...?

It ended when Zelgius found a sudden hole in Ike's defense, and quickly thrust his blade at Ike's left arm.

"Gotcha," Ike said with a grin, quickly sidestepping the thrust.

_Damn!_ Zelgius cursed, berating himself for not seeing it. Ike had led him exactly where he wanted him to be, and if the loud swish of Ettard said anything, it said that he was about to be hit _really hard_.

Only, the blow never came. A sudden impact collided with his sword as it went flying out of his grasp, and he turned to see Ike with a small grin on his face. "Didn't think that would actually work. Haven't had time to practice that maneuver much," he remarked happily.

Zelgius stared at where his sword was on the ground, and then back at Ike. "I was wondering why you left so many holes open in your stance. Something to confuse enemies with?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. It was quite the interesting maneuver, one that wouldn't be of any use to him. Still, he saw how Ike worked it into his style, and it made him excited. Ike was not only perfecting his father's skills, but he was improving on them!

"Eh...I'm pretty sure someone will figure it out if they face me seriously, so I only use it during the first pass," Ike said with a shrug. "Still, I think it's worth improving upon. I never know when it might come in handy."

Zelgius nodded. "Well, you managed to get me with it today, so who knows?" he said with a trace of humor, although his mind was going back over what just happened. That maneuver would defintiely not work again in their next fight, when it was for real. He didn't think Ike was so foolish that he'd try it against the Black Knight, but there were always circumstances in each battle that put everything to chance.

"Maybe, but that's because I surprised you with it. You wouldn't fall for it twice," Ike chuckled. "In any case...it's pretty late. I haven't had a session that invigorating for a while now."

"Indeed. I think I've picked up some new things as well," Zelgius commented. "Although I wonder what you do to become so strong. You've grown a lot in these past two years."

Ike frowned before he sighed. "Training is the only thing I can do to keep myself sane around here, unfortunately. That, and for some reason...I keep feeling like I want to fight an incredibly skilled opponent. It's like something is telling me to keep getting stronger so I'd meet them one day. Insane, isn't it?"

Now he was interested. Was Ike having a premonition of their fight to come? "That's really interesting to hear, Ike. Maybe you'll have a fight with someone on your level in the future?"

"Possibly. Who knows?" Ike then shook his head. "Anyway, you said you were going back tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. I won't have time to stay around for a few days, as I'll be leaving by midday tomorrow," Zelgius said with a nod, sighing. "Why?"

Ike shrugged. "Well, since it's the last night, how about you come up to my room for a drink or two? It'll probably be the last time we can talk together."

Zelgius hesitated. The last two times he was up in Ike's room, it had been for their sensual encounters. Ike surely knew that, yet he was clearly inviting him up there anyway. Did he have another purpose in mind? "Just for a drink, General?" he asked, although he made sure to put enough of a questioning tone in his voice so Ike would answer the real question.

Ike smiled back. "Of course. That's all I want," he said with a hint of caution.

If the Crimean general was remembering the last time, he didn't show it. "Alright, I can accept that," Zelgius finally said, relaxing. "Shall we?"

With a nod from Ike, Zelgius was once again following him to his room, a situation that he found was routine now.

* * *

"I'm still surprised that you drink, Ike," Zelgius murmured as he sat at the small table in Ike's quarters, taking in the sight of the now familiar room. Nothing had changed at all, but he didn't think the younger man was one for decor anyway.

Ike shrugged as he poured two glasses of ale, pushing one towards Zelgius. "I only do it every once in a while," he admitted with an embarrassed smile. "And even then, I only do it with Geoffrey. The way those court nobles tend to do things...it gets on both our nerves."

"Ah, I understand," Zelgius said with a nod, taking a sip out of his own glass. "I'm not much for drinking, but some days I'd like to."

"I imagine your senators must drive you crazy," Ike remarked dryly, taking a swig of his own before sighing. "At least that's what Marcia and her brother said. I don't know if you know them, but they joined the Royal Knights along with another companion after leaving Begnion. Said they couldn't stand how they were treated like dogs."

Zelgius knew too well of how parts of the army were treated by their respective duke. Some deserted because they couldn't handle the abuse of the nobles; others left after seeing the senate's corruption. The legendary Shiharam company of dracoknights had deserted because of that fact alone. Other soldiers died at a noble's whims, while others were too cowardly to dare think of running away. While the armies of Begnion still held might over the other nations, it was actually quite chaotic at times.

"The senators do have problems, and they have been abusing their power as long as I've known them," Zelgius sighed, rubbing his eyes. Just the thought of ever having to deal with that damned narcissist Valtome gave him a headache. "I count myself lucky to be under the service of the prime minister."

"Sephiran?" Ike questioned, getting another nod from Zelgius. "He's quite kind. I didn't know what to think of him when we first met, because he was rather...odd."

"Odd?" he repeated. He hadn't heard the details of when they had met, only knowing that Ike had met Sephiran somewhere in Crimea before leaving for Begnion.

"He was locked up with the other Crimean knights during the war. He said he was a traveler that was healing people he came across," Ike explained, shaking his head at the memory. "I had no idea he was such an important person, though."

"Well...everyone does say he has a weird sense of humor." Zelgius found himself commenting.

Ike rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. Right after we defeated Ashnard and he came to visit, I told him about my intention to just stay in this position until everything was settled and go back to being a mercenary. And then, get this...he started laughing! I don't know why, but he was positively beside himself."

Zelgius fought to keep a straight face hearing that, quickly taking another swig of his drink. "Really...? That's very hard to imagine, honestly."

"You should have heard it. I was just bewildered it came from someone in his position." Ike paused to take another drink, looking into his glass thoughtfully. "Do you think he was laughing because of what I told him?"

"That you planned on eventually returning to the mercenary life?" Zelgius asked, not even needing a confirmation from Ike to continue. "I don't think it was that. Perhaps you just reminded him of something."

"Mm," Ike grunted as he finished off his drink, pouring himself some more. Zelgius thought he looked troubled for some odd reason, but didn't press it as he continued nursing his own ale. It was quiet for a few minutes, both of them drinking in silence. It was only broken when Ike sighed once again. "Do you think I'm selfish, Zelgius?"

Zelgius blinked. "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?" he asked, placing his nearly empty glass down.

"Because even though I know what I'm doing is important, I don't want it," Ike stated flatly, staring out the window of his room. "I had sworn to only stay as long as the country was still weakened, but look at me. I'm still the General of Crimea."

"...you sound regretful," Zelgius murmured, pouring himself another glass. "Does this have to do with how I found you that night during my first visit here?"

"That night...? Oh," Ike let out as he realized what he was talking about and blushed. "When you found me when I was in one of the worst moods ever, right? That was part of it, yes."

"Tell me about it," Zelgius stated, curious to know what got Ike so angry that night, and why it led to what they had done.

Ike leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "To be honest, I don't remember the specifics, but...it had to do the rumors that the court nobles were spreading," Ike then sighed, rubbing his head. "I knew they didn't like me, but... Elincia had been lending me some scrolls, and I was just returning them to her. That was all.. But one of the nobles saw it as a chance to ruin the both of us."

Zelgius scowled. There were always such rumors flying about in Begnion, but none of them actually concerned the Apostle. "What were they saying?"

"That Elincia and I were 'engaging in indecent acts', and that she would be bearing the child of a dirty mercenary," Ike snorted. "It sounds completely ridiculous, doesn't it? Both of us were furious, and Lucia and Geoffrey had to literally hold me back to stop me from completely losing it. Luckily for them, Bastian was able to expel all of them before I ripped their heads off! It seems surreal to me now, but all I thought of at that moment was hurting someone."

_That would explain the attitude, _ Zelgius thought before sighing. "It's not easy being a general the people like, but the aristocracy loathe," he said in sympathy.

"...you're in the same situation, aren't you?" Ike commented, finally finishing off his drink. "When you came along that night, I really needed to hit something. I don't think I ever thanked you for that."

"What, for being your training post?" Zelgius scoffed. "But...you know what happened after that."

Ike was silent for a short time before his nodded. "Yeah. I didn't know what came over me that night, but...I just needed someone to be with me. You were the closest one, Zelgius, and so I-"

Zelgius held up a hand to silence him. "No, I thought we didn't have any regrets about that night. In any case...I pushed myself onto you as well, because I felt the same way, believe it or not. I know all too well how your situation gets at times. Sometimes, you just can't do everything alone," he murmured, turning away so he didn't have to face Ike's eyes. He knew how hypocritical he sounded, yet it was the truth.

"Probably..." Ike let out, eyes distant. "We both have our own issues, don't we? The army, our feelings, everything else...it gets too much at times, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does."

There was more silence following that statement, neither of them daring to break it. The bottle was nearly empty now, and Ike was looking slightly red-faced. Zelgius imagined he was probably the same way, especially considering his low tolerance for alcohol.

Finally, Ike sighed. "Zelgius?"

"Hm?"

Ike seemed to tense before a sad smile appeared on his face. "After you leave...I'm going to announce the resignation of my position. I think it's time I do so, anyway."

Zelgius's eyes widened, looking at him in disbelief. "You're leaving?"

Ike nodded. "Yeah. If Begnion's withdrawing, that means my job's done as well. No need for me to stay any longer, right?"

"But...even still, you're the General of Crimea," Zelgius said slowly, blinking. "You still have responsibilities that aren't easily handed down to another."

"I know, which is why I'll have Geoffrey take my position. He's more suited to it, in any case." Ike countered, leaning back. "I've already given it a lot of thought. If I'm gone, it takes away one thing the nobles in the court hold against Elincia. They won't be able to use me as a weapon against her any longer."

Zelgius sighed. If Ike resigned, things would definitely become a lot more problematic for his master. However, this was probably coming for a long time already, and stopping Ike when he was set on it seemed wrong to him. "That's why you're leaving then?"

"See what I mean? I'm being selfish," Ike pointed out, chuckling bitterly. "Even though it will be best for both me and Elincia in the long run, I'm doing it for myself. I'm just tired of the constant power struggle I'm in."

"No..." Zelgius muttered, and Ike looked up at him. He could see the self-disgust in his eyes for doing something amounting to just up and quitting. "No, Ike, don't feel that way. At times, I wish I had your resolve when dealing with what you do."

"Really?" Ike asked quietly.

"...yes."

Zelgius knew that in Begnion, political intrigue was common. Had he been less lenient with mistakes of others, or if he had just walked away when he could, some of his bigger problems could have been avoided altogether.

Ike looked straight at him before breaking into a smile. "It's weird, Zelgius. Just you saying that...makes me feel better about what I'm going to do. Thanks."

Zelgius looked down, hiding his own smile. "In any case, I should be going. You probably have your own preparations to make..." He made to get up from the table and walk away, but Ike grabbed his hand to stop him. "Huh? Ike?" he asked lowly, seeing the expression on the younger man's face.

"Wait a moment, Zelgius," Ike said, getting up. "You're really going back tomorrow, aren't you? That means we won't be seeing each other that much, if ever again." Ike said, a blank look on his face.

Zelgius nodded, but he had the strangest feeling on where this conversation would go. "Are you sad about that? You know very well how us soldiers work."

"I do, but...in such a short time, you've become such a good friend to me." Zelgius cringed visibly when Ike mentioned that, but Ike seemed to not have noticed it. "Not only that...you were my first. That counts for something, doesn't it?"

"Perhaps...but why are you saying this?" Zelgius asked, rooted to the spot. He should have left right then, but he just had to hear what Ike had to say.

Ike nodded. "I have something to ask of you, Zelgius...but I think you'll know after this."

Zelgius was about to ask what when Ike leaned forward and softly kissed him, pulling away after a few seconds. Unlike their kisses from before—sloppy, lustful, greedy—this one was different. Touching his lips slightly, Zelgius looked back at Ike in surprise, who was staring back with a serious expression.

"Before we head our separate ways, I want us to have one last memory of our time like this. I want you to bed me," Ike stated. Zelgius blinked rapidly, hearing something like that coming from Ike. "Yeah, I know it sounds really odd, but..."

Zelgius only responded by tilting Ike's chin up and returning the kiss. Such a thing was new to him, kissing like this. The closeness it symbolized—Zelgius wasn't really sure if both of them—or either of them—understood what it really meant. Still, Ike had made one final request for one final night together.

He wasn't about to deny him that.

"I'll do it, Ike," he whispered to the younger man, stroking the side of his face.

"Thank you, Zelgius," Ike returned before their lips met once again, their kisses getting more passionate.

* * *

It was weird. Zelgius had merely come up for a few drinks with Ike, and here he was, about to have sex with Ike for the third and final time. He knew there would be nothing like this again after tonight; the next time they met, one would kill the other. That, he knew....

However, just for this one night, he set such thoughts aside as Ike threw his arms over him, pressing himself closer as their tongues fought for dominance. Thoughts of how he shouldn't be doing this and how wrong it seemed were completely ignored as his tongue found its way inside Ike's mouth, tentatively exploring. Ike moaned, hugging himself closer.

Just for tonight, neither of them would be alone. He'd make it something to remember indeed.

It had been quite strange to find himself in this position yet again, but he didn't care as he threw Ike's shirt off, hands going to his nipples and teasing them, making the younger man moan. Ike responded by moving his hand just beneath Zelgius's left shoulder, rubbing his Mark sensually. He moaned lowly and kissed Ike again, and then everything started to blur together.

Their clothes had hit the floor at some point, and then they were on the bed again, exploring the other's body. Ike moaned when Zelgius had taken him into his mouth, repaying him for what he had done last time. He would have never thought about doing this to anyone, let alone Ike, but it just felt so natural at that moment. The way Ike's hips were bucking into his mouth meant it was good, and he became even harder at the thought of what was going to happen in a few minutes.

He had been surprised when Ike gripped both of them in his hand when he rose up to get the oil, and he had to stop himself from just groaning and letting Ike carry on. It felt so good, but he had another purpose in mind for them as he slicked his fingers up. Lowering his head to lay kisses along Ike's neck, he slowly inserted his fingers into the younger man. Ike moaned into the kiss, thrusting himself down on the fingers as they prepared him, stretching him slowly.

And then, once he was ready, Zelgius made to position himself before Ike stopped him with a firm grip of his hand on his wrist. As he stared at the younger man, Ike smiled and wordlessly lowered himself until he returned the favor Zelgius gave him before, engulfing the older man's erection in his mouth. Zelgius bucked his hips a few times before placing his hands in Ike's hair, slowly getting Ike's head away from him. As Ike pulled off, a trail of saliva connected his mouth to the head of his arousal, and he groaned at how wet it felt now.

As Ike laid back down, he spread the younger man's legs and slowly entered him, stopping as Ike gasped in pain. While he had to hold himself back for several minutes, when Ike eased himself down after a while, he couldn't hold himself back any more as he started thrusting in. Ike moaned again as Zelgius's thrusts quickened, and with the way he was slamming into him so _roughly_, he felt his breath being sucked right out of him.

They had to be quick, and they knew it. Anybody could be looking for them, yet the risk actually thrilled both of them. With the way Zelgius pounded into him, with the way Ike was claiming the older man's lips and groaning. It was just so _hot_, and any thoughts of anything else besides what they were doing were long forgotten.

It had to end, unfortunately. Zelgius took hold of Ike's erection, starting to pump in time with his thrusts. It didn't take long for Ike to reach his climax, spilling all over Zelgius's hand as he ran his thumb over the head, fluid splashing in between their bodies. Zelgius followed soon after, emptying himself into Ike.

As Zelgius collapsed against Ike's chest, the two shared one last kiss, sweaty and still charged from what they had done.

"I wish we could stay like this," Ike lamented, closing his eyes. "It feels nice."

"We cannot. You know this, Ike..."

"I know. We have to leave soon, right?"

Zelgius allowed himself a smile, kissing Ike's neck again. "It's fine. I'm actually glad I was able to do this."

"Heh. So am I." Ike murmured, closing his eyes. "You should probably wash up. No one will be suspicious of you just wandering at this time of night, but if you don't take care of that smell..."

Zelgius rolled his eyes. "Saying I stink now, General?" he said mockingly, getting an amused snort from Ike. "You'd better go ahead first, Ike. I think you're the more messy one."

"Hmph. Such a gentleman, aren't you?" Ike said dryly, getting himself up. "Alright, I'll be quick," he yawned, walking into the bathing room. Zelgius chuckled as he laid back, staring at the ceiling once more.

_Our day of reckoning is not far off from now, Ike..._ he thought, closing his eyes. _Even though I liked these moments...I will not have any mercy on you. My skills will not allow that_.

And he knew that even if Ike knew who he really was, he would do the same. That's just how they were.

* * *

After entering the bathing room—making sure to hide his Mark from Ike—and cleaning up, Zelgius emerged, fully clothed, sighing.

"So, once you leave this room, that's it," Ike stated, frowning.

"Indeed. We may not meet again under these circumstances," Zelgius said, walking up to the younger man to stare him in the eyes.

Ike knew what he was saying. "The next time we meet...we might be enemies," he muttered, turning away.

"Does that trouble you?" Zelgius asked, crossing his arms.

"Oddly enough...no. Even if you were my enemy, you'd be an honorable opponent. That's why I wouldn't mind," Ike chuckled.

"Your faith in me is quite surprising, Ike...very much so," Zelgius whispered. "In any case...I must be off. I'm certain that you'll have your own stuff to take care of," he said a bit more firmly, smiling a bit.

Ike nodded, returning the smile. "Anyway...be safe, Zelgius. Perhaps we'll meet again someday. I look forward to it."

With one last nod, Zelgius turned away from Ike, walking out of the door and closing it behind him. "And so ends that..." he muttered a bit sadly. "But...for once, I think I actually have a purpose now. And it's thanks to him," he chuckled, making his way back to his quarters.

He spent that night awake as he contemplated his options. He knew how things would eventually turn out, but he didn't know what to feel about them.

The next day, he came to a decision as he mobilized the remaining soldiers behind him, leaving Melior for good.

_Ike, you'd best be ready for me in the coming months. I will honor you by fighting you to the best of my ability, and you shall as well. I know you will come for me eventually..._

_And I'll be waiting. Fight me not for your father's sake, but for your own. That's all I ask._

Even if he didn't know if everyone deserved to be judged, even if he didn't know if awaking the goddess was truly the right thing to do...he had one purpose.

His battle with Ike. It was no longer just a case of fighting to prove he was better than Gawain. It wasn't a struggle to see who would be right and who would be wrong.

Now...it was going to be a battle between two men, both of them seeing how far they progressed. Both with each other, and apart.

* * *

**A/N:** And thus ends that. Whew, that was long, wasn't it?

The actual pairing of Ike/Zelgius intrigues me. What would their dynamic be if they interacted constantly, without the issue of the Black Knight coming up? While I wouldn't say that it's a natural match for either of them, I could feasibly see it happening in certain conditions. Ike tends to get paired up with a lot of the male cast in PoR/RD, oddly enough. Perhaps I'll write another rare pairing someday (Ike/Geoffrey, anyone? I probably hinted at it in the fic more than once), but that might not be for a while.

And before you ask, yes, I did half-ass the final sex scene. I had been working on this thing non-stop for a week and I just wanted to end it, so I decided to make a shortened scene compared to the very long one last chapter. I might come back and rewrite it in the future, because I'm somewhat not satisfied with how that scene came out. Ah well.

Anyway, if you liked the fic and want to give me criticism, review! My writing is far from perfect, and even before posting this here, I had to go back and fix a lot of mistakes to make it readable. If you find something odd or something you really liked, tell me! I'll be all ears.


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